Railways needs Rs 248.169 billion for 45 projects: National Assembly body informed

The Ministry of Railways requires Rs 248.169 billion for as many as 45 projects, a parliamentary panel was told on Tuesday. Director General (DG) Railways while briefing National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways, said that the total cost of the said projects is Rs 330.633 billion, however expenditures of Rs 82.464 billion was made on the said projects till June 2014.
He added that the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) allocation for the financial year 2014-15 to the ministry is Rs 39.566 billion. The committee, which met with Syed Naveed Qamar in the chair, was briefed on the budgetary proposals of Ministry of Railways and its attached Departments relating to the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for the financial year 2014-15 along with its total utilisation of budget on different projects.
The Committee appreciated the efforts made by the department for improving the efficiency of Pakistan Railways. Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique assured the committee that the ministry would meet target of Rs 30 billion revenue collection for financial year 2014-15. He said that foreign companies have been invited through Ministry of foreign affairs for the purchase of 65 locomotives.
The committee was also informed that JICA has refused to fund Karachi Circular Railways (KCR). The committee was attended by MNAs including Muhammad Riaz Malik, Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal, Syed Muhammad Saqlain Bukhari, Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Shah, Dr Nisar Ahmad Jatt, Malik Ghulam Rabbani Khar, Ramesh Lal, Syed Asif Hasnain, Qari Muhammad Yousaf and Naseema Hafeez Panezai.