Policy on vendors, small markets on PR land discussed

LAHORE

Pakistan Railways should devise a complete working plan for remedial management of unauthorised small and medium enterprises on Railways land. This was stated by Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Monday.

Railways companies like REDEMCO, RAILCOP and Property and Land department should prepare the detailed policy in consultation with local and provincial governments. Street vendors are integral part of urban economies. This plan would not only provide main source of income for the households of millions of street vendors but also generate revenue for Pakistan Railways, he said.

According to a press release, the minister chaired a meeting on policy on street vendors and small markets on Railways land at Railways Headquarters, Lahore here Monday. Director Property and Land Arshad Salam Khattak briefed the minister on the issue.

On the occasion, Kh Saad stated that small model markets would help to reduce the encroachments in busiest places of the cities. We need to move forward towards modernisation of public markets and these model markets for small street vendors would uplift their working ambience and by offering wide range of products at cheaper rates will facilitate public as well.

The minister told the officers that Railways would not empower individuals by leasing them out its precious land for commercial purposes, he directed the team to prepare a plan of model market in collaboration with local government in Punjab on selected sections and then the same may be replicated in other provinces.

He said that commercial activity would only be allowed on closed and nonoperational sections as security and safety remains the prime concern of Pakistan Railways. ‘Salute’ screened: Movie ‘Salute’, a biographical movie of Shaheed Aitzaz Hassan, bravely confronted a suicide bomber attempting to blow his school and saved 2,000 lives, was screened at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) on Monday.

Meanwhile, according to a press release an interactive session of students with CSS alumni was held at Auditorium Complex in which recently qualified CSS-UET alumni interacted with faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students.