No delay in uplift projects to be tolerated: Azam Swati

LAHORE:Federal Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati said that no delay will be tolerated in the development projects of Pakistan Railways. If there is any shortcoming in the project, it will be the responsibility of the project director.

He expressed these views in a meeting while briefing about the ongoing development projects of the Railways at the Railway Headquarters Office on Friday.Azam Khan Swati said the director of any project will not be changed until the completion of the said project. “Railways was working only due to some good natured officers. The inefficient people will be replaced by efficient people so that the Railways could move forward on modern lines”.

He said that all the signaling projects should be completed within six months. No delay will be tolerated in the signaling system. Regarding the flats for the employees in Lahore, Karachi and Narowal, it was informed that the flats in Lahore and Karachi had been completed while the work on the flats in Narowal was pending, on which the Railways Minister ordered to complete the work within six months and hand it over to the Railways.

Talking about the repair and rehabilitation of coaches, the Federal Minister for Railways said that the rehabilitation project should be expedited and all the coaches should be rehabilitated and added to the system besides additional coaches should also be arranged at different places.

Chairman Railways Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani, CEO Pakistan Railways Nisar Ahmed Memon, Additional GM Infrastructure Asif Matin Zaidi, Additional GM Traffic Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, Additional GM Mechanical Salman Sadiq, Advisor to Federal Minister for Railways Abdul Rashid, Director Public Relations Nazia Jabeen and other senior officers also attended the meeting.

Later, the Federal Minister for Railways also visited Lahore Dry Port. Divisional Superintendent Railways Lahore Division Nasir Khalili briefed the Federal Minister for Railways about the revenue, expenditures, net profit and business scope of Lahore Dry Port.

The Federal Minister was given a thorough review of the placement capacity of the dry port including the sidings of the dry port as well as the business capacity.

On the occasion, Swati said that train container business would be started at the dry port soon and customs officials would not handle labour. The minister assured to solve the problems of labour. The Minister for Railways stressed on the need to make the container train more functional in order to increase the business of the dry port and said that the container train should run regularly at the dry port as soon as possible to end the truck culture.

The Federal Minister for Railways said that it was imperative to expand the dry port business to make the Railways a profitable organisation. He further said if we do something for the Railways while we are in our government, it will be the service of the Railways and our honor.