National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways Meeting – Anger Expressed Over Minister’s Absence
Performance Report of Railcop Requested, Notice Issued for Summoning Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
“It Seems We Would Need the long life like Hazart Khizar to See the ML-1 Project Start,” Say Committee Members.
Islamabad ( Web News)
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways expressed strong displeasure over the absence of the Railway Minister and decided to issue a summons notice to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. The committee also requested a performance report on Railcop and sought a briefing in the next meeting regarding the ministry’s budget proposals for the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).
The meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways was chaired by Chairman Rai Hassan Nawaz at the Parliament House. During the session, officials provided a briefing on outsourced trains, revealing that the daily expenses of outsourced passenger trains amount to 24.92 million rupees, while the revenue stands at 31.65 million rupees. Some trains are covering their costs and generating profit. The revenue of trains, which previously stood at 7.5 billion rupees, has increased to 11.5 billion rupees after outsourcing.
Regarding corruption in railway lands, an agenda item addressed alleged embezzlement of 12.49 billion rupees. Officials stated that an audit had been conducted, which reported irregularities, but the losses were not based on facts, and there was no evidence of corruption.
A briefing was also provided on the ML-1 (Main Line One) project, with Chairman of the Committee stating that ML-1 is a game changer. The Secretary of Railways informed that the project would be completed in two phases:
- Phase One: Karachi to Multan
- Phase Two: Multan to Peshawar
The total project cost is 6.678 billion dollars, and another meeting with the Chinese delegation was held on January 16. Experts from China are expected to visit by the end of February. The Committee Chairman directed that the project should be initiated immediately.
Committee member Ahmad Saleem raised concerns over frequent railway accidents, particularly a recent accident in the Shahdara area of Lahore Division. Committee member Ramesh Lal claimed that in Quetta, the DS (Divisional Superintendent) does not manage operations, and instead, a driver is running the division.
The Railway Secretary informed that a mechanism for improving ML-3 has been developed. The Committee Chairman stressed that maintenance funds should not be halted, and Divisional Superintendents should leave their offices and conduct inspections.
Officials also revealed that the Railways has developed a “Rabita” application, which allows passengers to book seats and access other relevant information. The committee inquired about the cost of developing the app, to which the Secretary of Railways responded that there was no cost incurred in its development. He further mentioned that within five to six months, all railway trains will be linked with the Rabita app.
Committee member Waseem Qadir raised concerns about poor sanitation conditions in train washrooms, stating that they are so dirty that traveling has become unbearable. He also inquired about security and surveillance cameras. In response, Railway Police officials stated that a proposal has been submitted for building boundary walls and installing cameras, but the Railway Police does not even have funds for salaries.
Ramesh Lal questioned whether scanners installed at railway stations across the country were functional. Officials disclosed that there are 83 railway rest houses nationwide with a total of 380 rooms.
Committee member Syed Waseem Hussain remarked that while the condition of railway stations can be improved, does providing clean drinking water require billions of rupees? The committee requested a report on Railcop’s performance and a briefing on the ministry’s budget proposals for the next meeting.
The Committee Chairman raised concerns about a fraudulent job advertisement published in December, questioning whether an investigation had been conducted. The Secretary of Railways responded that the matter had been forwarded to the FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) and that people were scammed out of 2,000 rupees each, which is completely unacceptable.
The Committee expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of the relevant minister. Chairman of the Committee decided to issue a summons notice to Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar.
Committee members expressed frustration, stating that for the past six months, the ministry has been claiming that the ML-1 project is about to start, yet nothing has happened. They warned that not only is the project not progressing, but the existing railway system is deteriorating due to delays. One member sarcastically remarked:
“It has been eight years, and the project still hasn’t started. At this rate, we would need the lifespan of Khidr (a legendary figure believed to have eternal life) to witness its initiation.”