ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Railways informed the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Railways on Tuesday that the district governments and security forces did not cooperate with the railway officers/officials during the anti-encroachment operations and that there also existed issues relating to the transfer of railway lands from provinces to the Ministry of Railways.
The committee recommended that all the provincial chief secretaries and the inspectors general of police be called in the next meeting to resolve these issues.
Chairman Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan MNA presided over the committee’s 7th meeting at the Parliament House, here.
The committee scrutinised the budgetary proposals relating to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of the Ministry of Railways and its attached departments for the financial year 2025-26 as required under sub-rule (6) of rule 201 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.
The secretary, Ministry of Railways, told the committee that they had demanded Rs65 billion from the PSDP last year, however, the Finance Division approved Rs45 billion and then further reduced it to Rs35 billion.
He said the ministry had sought Rs75 billion from the PSDP for the next financial year, adding the budgetary proposals would be adjusted according to the Indicative Budget Ceiling (IBC) fixed by the Finance Division.
The secretary Railway Board informed the committee that the ministry had proposed 58 per cent for the infrastructure sector, 30 per cent for the rolling stock, and 1 per cent for each governance and business development sector for ongoing schemes, and 8 per cent for infrastructure and 2 per cent for rolling stock for the new schemes in the budgetary proposals for the financial year 2025-26.
He gave a briefing on each project one by one. The committee observed that details of the status of the ongoing projects had not been given by the ministry.
The committee sought a briefing on the status of the ongoing mega projects in the next meeting.
However, the committee approved the budgetary proposals of the Ministry of Railways and its attached departments regarding the PSDP with the directions that priority should be given to projects regarding the repairing of tracks and security.
It also recommended that the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiative release the approved funds for the Ministry of Railways regarding the rehabilitation of dilapidated tracks on a priority basis.
The secretary informed the committee that there was a shortage of funds for making boundary walls and mounting security at the railway stations.
The committee recommended that the Ministry of Railways approach the provincial governments for the construction of boundary walls at major railway stations.
The secretary told the committee that 100 passenger trains and about 10 freight trains were operating on a daily basis and the wagons of international standard were being manufactured in Islamabad Carriage Factory by complete transfer of technology from China.
The committee decided to visit the Islamabad Carriage Factory in due course of time.
It asked about the filling of 500 posts in the Pakistan Railways Police and expressed satisfaction over the statement of inspector general (IG) Railways Police that the recruitment would be made on merit and as per the provincial quota, women quota and minority quota.
The committee sought a report on the completion of the recruitment process.
It also recommended to the secretary, Ministry of Railways, to raise the pay scales/grades/ranks of the constables, head constables and assistant sub-inspectors to 7, 9 & 11, respectively, in order to make them equivalent to the ranks of provincial police forces.
In the backdrop of current security environment in which the railways was operating, the committee further recommended to the IG Railways Police to ensure foolproof security of passengers, trains and railway infrastructure.
The committee recommended that a briefing be given by the IG Railways Police on the details of the projects so that the same might be approved/included in the next budget as the safety and security of the passengers was the top priority of the committee.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Ramesh Lal, Waseem Qadir, Ibrar Ahmad, Haji Jamal Shah Kakar, Syed Ahad Ali Shah, Shafqat Abbas, Sadiq Ali Memon, Ms Mehreen Razzak Bhutto, Syed Waseem Hussain, Ms Nuzhat Saddiq, Muhammad Ilyas Chaudhary, Zulfiqar Bachani, Zulfiqar Ali and Muhammad Jamal Ahsan Khan, in addition to senior officers from the Ministry of Railways and Pakistan Railways.
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