‘Railway land slums to be developed’

LAHORE: Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that the the government is developing a model for regularisation of Katchi Abadis and soon the model would also be presented before the Senate Standing Committee.

He said this during the 21st meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Railways held on Thursday at Railways Headquarters in Lahore. Dr Nisar Ahmad Jatt presided over the meeting in the absence of chairman of the standing committee, Syed Naveed Qamar.

The committee was given briefing on Katchi Abadies established on the Railways’ land. It was informed that federal government announced in 1985 that all unauthorised hutments shall be regularised. On March 23, 1985, total number of 188 Katchi Abadies were currently established on the Railways’ land. It was told that 39 NOCs had been issued for Katchi Abadies.

Khawaja Saad Rafique said that Katchi Abadis were not just the issue of state land but it was also linked with the state population. He said,  “We are developing a model for regularisation of Katchi Abadis and soon we will present the model before the Senate Standing Committee as well”

The minister said that after 1985, not less than 54 Katchi Abadis had been established, including 25 in Punjab, 29 in Sindh and one in KP. The minister said railways required more land for its upcoming projects Motorway and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), ML-2 and ML-3.

He said all the data of railways had been digitalised. The committee discussed the matter in detail and recommended that proper viable/feasible policy should be formulated to resolve the issue.

The committee also directed the Ministry of Railways to provide accurate/authentic figure of units of Katchi Abadies on the Railways land along with the complete detail of the area within 14 days.

The committee also sought complete details of railways needs keeping in view its 25 years to 50 years of plans.The meeting was also attended by Muhammad Riaz Malik, Sardar Muhammad Irfan Dogar, Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Ms Phyllis Azeem, Ramesh Lal, Engr Hamid-ul-Haq Khalil and Amjad Ali Khan, MNAs.