Railways completes 14 projects in current fiscal year

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways has completed 14 projects during the current financial year, Senate Standing Committee on Railways was told here the other day.

The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Asad Ali Khan Junejo, was briefed in detail about the Public Sector Development Project (PSDP).

The committee was told that the budget of Railways was Rs. 97 billion during financial year 2019-20, including Rs. 58 billion income and Rs. 39 billion grant (subsidy). The main expenditures of Railways were salaries, pension and fuel. As many as Rs. 29 billion were being spent on the payment of salaries while Rs. 39 billion were paid as pension expenditures.

The meeting was told that the market share of railways was being enhanced from four to twenty percent. Railways has an important role in National Transport Policy 2018, which has already been finalised.

The National Transport Framework was also being devised to provide safe and environment-friendly atmosphere to the passengers. A sum of Rs. 16 billion has been allocated in current financial year's PSDP. While the projects worth Rs. 31 billion would be executed in next year.

The efforts will be made to ensure goods transportation through railways instead of roads, the structure of Railways existed in all four provinces. Gawadar would be connected by two railway lines. The committee was told that 50 percent land has already been acquired by Railways in Gawadar. Railways has 68,000 employees and 122,000 pensioners. In first seven months of current financial year, Rs 21 billion has already been spent for paying pensions.

More grant of Rs. 4.1 billion was required for paying pensions. The committee directed Railways management seeking the details of promotions in grade 20 and 21 for last two years.