Railways Ministry faces a Rs37-40 billion deficit: Sheikh Rashid Ahmed

[Clutch]

Railways Ministry faces a Rs37-40 billion deficit: Sheikh Rashid Ahmed

Dawn.comAugust 23, 2018
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Railways minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in conversation with the media in Rawalpindi on Thursday. — DawnNewsTV

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Thursday during a talk with the media in Rawalpindi said that the railways ministry faces a debt of Rs37-40 billion left behind by the "previous corrupt, dishonest government" which had been "tooting its own horns claiming that the industry is doing well".

He said that the yearly expenditure was found to be Rs9bn and he has issued instructions to the Divisional Superintendent (DS) Rawalpindi to cut expenditures.

Sheikh Rashid said that the ministry has roughly 20-25 acres of land which private companies "are welcome to invest in for 20 years and build plazas, stations and food streets".

"We do not want any delay [...] we are willing to rent out the railway tracks even," he said, highlighting the gravity of the situation the ministry is facing.

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He said that many overseas Pakistanis [interested in investing] had asked that they be "given surety" by Imran Khan himself, to which he had responded: "Imran Khan is the one who has appointed me and given me charge of this ministry."

"Many offers have been made for bringing bullet trains to the country by people who said they will invest their own funds but I have told them this is a very expensive project. We must fix 'our trains' first," he added.

He said his first agenda would be to address the matter of the double track from Lahore to Peshawar, whereby he wants to do away with the 6 kilometre zig-zag track and also have the train pass through areas where there are no paved roads. He said he has contacted National Logistics Cell (NLC) and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) in this regard.

According to the minister, the first train to run will have a 10 per cent discount offered to customers for a period of one month.

 

[VCheng]

Let's start with the basics: how many miles of serviceable track, how many units of rolling stock, how many locomotives, and lastly, the number of employees.

 

[war&peace]

Here is the turd face who destroyed the railways

 

[El Sidd]

Prosecute those who left it to such state.

The government needs Action not rhetoric.

 

[war&peace]

Prosecute those who left it to such state.

The government needs Action not rhetoric.

Agreed...just give them some time and if they don't do it...I'm with you..our loyalties are with the country and not some particular govt. I always advocate and prefer action over rhetoric. But nothing happens within a day so we need to give them some time.

 

[Yaseen1]

railway staff should be reduced and given job in other sector which need staff with providing them some training free of cost for new work and only trains should be run when they are full of passangers.half filled trains are causing loss.we should reduce extra no of unnecessary trips

 

[Max]

Here is the turd face who destroyed the railways

It was 58.6 billion in 2013 when PMLN took over.. Chola actually did something productive for railways.. hope Sheikh will make railways profitable.

 

[war&peace]

It was 58.6 billion in 2013 when PMLN took over.. Chola actually did something productive for railways.. hope Sheikh will make railways profitable.

In five years, it should have been turned into profitable. BTW why did the previous govt not punish anyone responsible? Why Bilaur was not investigated and sent to the jail?

 

[Max]

In five years, it should have been turned into profitable. BTW why did the previous govt not punish anyone responsible? Why Bilaur was not investigated and sent to the jail?

Agree, Agar action lete to Jamhoriyat khatre main par jati.

 

[war&peace]

Agree, Agar action lete to Jamhoriyat khatre main par jati.

what a lame argument is that? It means they are responsible for that simple.

 

[Inception-06]

First, all tracks must be upgraded to double tracks, train railways service must be connected to every big City which has a population over 1 Million!