Maintenance of level-crossings in Sindh: Railways approaches Sindh for payment of Rs219.98m dues

KARACHI: The Pakistan Railways authorities approached the Sindh government for payment of Rs219.98 million outstanding dues of railways on account of operational and maintenance of level-crossings constructed in the province. In an official letter of Lahore Chief Engineer Asif Mateen Zaidi to the Sindh chief secretary on the subject, it was requested for early payment of dues and formation of a mechanism for insuring in-time payments in future. The Pakistan Railways sources informed The News that railways has constructed many level-crossings throughout the province on the request of some Sindh government departments. As per the agreement, the Sindh government’s departments have to pay the maintenance cost to the Pakistan Railways but almost all the departments avoid to pay the dues for the last several years. According to the official correspondence, the Sindh government’s different Town Municipal Administrations (TMAs) are liable to pay Rs43.897 million, Sindh Provincial Highway Department is liable to pay Rs170.979 million and other departments are liable to pay Rs5.369 million to the Pakistan Railways on account of operational and maintenance of level-crossings.