KARACHI, Feb. 19 (APP): Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday said that in line with the directives issued by Supreme Court, Ministry of Railways with the help of Sindh Government will remove encroachment and vacate Railways land to be used for Karachi Circular Railway project within next 30 days.
Addressing a press conference here after holding a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who was with a team of concerned provincial officers, the Railways Minister said fifty feet area on each side of KCR track with length of 4.5 kilometers would be cleared of all kind of encroachments including constructions. Actually, he said, Railways land along the track was around 140 Kms both sides of the track but for the time being ,the Ministry was going to regain its limited land required for KCR project.
“I have also asked the police to set up pickets on the land being vacated from encroachers,” he said.
Every inch of Railways land will be retrieved including that
Allegedly occupied by the Builders of Hayyat Regency project and Pakistan Stock Exchange and the amount received would be used for KCR project.
He said as the bridge financing Federal and Sindh governments would allocate Rs. 20 billion for KCR; with equal share. However, he said, timely completion of the project would depend on receipt of dollars two billion from China.
He said, in today’s meeting, it was decided to form a committee tasked with timely execution of KCR. In the committee, Federal Government would represented by BPS-21 and Sindh Government by BPS-20 officers.
Next meeting with Sindh Government would be held very soon to expedite the process of KCR. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan was also scheduled to visit Karachi and discuss KCR project matters in next few days.
Sheikh Rashid said KCR would have new and modern train and track, not like old local train network and it would have 24 stations.He reassured that things about KCR were moving fast and he was Very confident and now this much awaited intra-city railways network would be completed in time.
He said PTI government under the leadership of Imran Khan was seriously discussing and finding solutions to cut gas and electricity prices.
To a media question, Sheikh said Imran Khan’s government would complete its five years tenure and that the opposition was not in the position to weaken the government.
The Railways Minister said Punjab Forensic Department’s report had endorsed his stance that fire in Tezgam train was caused by burst of a cylinder.
VNS Islamabad
