LAHORE: Federal Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati said the country is facing financial constraints and the government will not drag the departments into politics, adding that all-out efforts will be made to make Railways a profit-earning department.

While talking to the media during his visit to Pakistan Railways (PR) Mughalpura workshops divisional superintendent office here on Sunday, Swati said the PR workers would now never be used for politics.

He further said it would be a great victory of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government if it could improve the lives of labourers.

He said PR was facing deficit of Rs 2 billion due to electric meters and this year that money would be saved. He said money was nation’s wealth.

The minister said the difference in the railways services quality will be visible after one year, with the support of its workers and officers.

Swati claimed that he had developed every department that had ever been given to him, and delivered whatever ministry was handed over to him in the past.

He said the PR needed a direction from the minister, and the rest of the job would be performed by his team, the workers and officer of the department.

The minister said safety of the passengers and workers was important for him and for the good image of the railways.

He lauded former minister for railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, saying he made a lot of efforts to establish the department on strong footing.

The foundations had been laid and now “my job is to construct a good building on it”, he added.

He said the PR was a national entity and the PTI government would uplift it like a modern enterprise.

Swati requested the media to ensure context while publishing his statements.

The minister said condition of residences and quarters of the railways workers were extremely poor and no improvement had been made in the last 60 years from the date when these residences were first constructed.

Workers would be given houses according to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan the minister said and added that the PR as an institution would be uplifted if its workers were provided with the best healthcare and residential facilities.

Taking briefing and observing everything minutely for bringing about reforms in the department the minister maintained.

He said that no leniency would be shown towards retrieval of encroached upon lands and properties as the railways could not be improved if any politics or compromise would be made on it.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020