KARACHI, Oct 23: Sindh government has expressed serious reservations on the auction of commercial outlets on railway land along the tracks of Karachi Circular Railway by the Pakistan Railways authorities.

“We have taken up this issue with the federal government on emergent basis as the land is the property of the provincial government which had been given to the railways for a specific purpose and not for leasing it out for residential or commercial use,” a senior official in the provincial transport department told Dawn on the condition of anonymity.

He said the provincial transport department was working on the revival of the KCR operation. He said private consultants would be appointed soon to carry out the short-term feasibility which would also include repair of tracks.

In a recent move, the PR planned the auction of shops in the ‘railway markets’ at the Wazir Mansion, KPT, Liaquatabad stations, Nipa Chowrangi tracks near Sindbad Amusement Park, Level Crossing No 7 on Sehba Akhtar Road and Level Crossing No 8 in Gharibabad.

The transport official maintained that the tracks, without the land, would not serve the purpose and it would be difficult to improve the existing infrastructure.

“PR wants to sell the valuable land along the tracks of the KCR and spend the money of the province to upgrade its efficiency in other parts of the country which is injustice with the people of Karachi and as well as with the province,” the official asserted.

Abdul Wahab Awan, Divisional Superintendent, Karachi Division, said: “PR is ready to hand over the infrastructure of the KCR but the dispute arises on the issue of apportioning the land.”

Talking to Dawn at his office on Tuesday, he said that the KCR revival was a mission for the Sindh government and the PR was ready to provide technical assistance to the provincial government for the revival project.

To a question, he claimed the major portion of the land along the tracks of the KCR was owned by the railways.

The officials of the Sindh government disputed the claim and said that the provincial government had given the land to PR for a specific purpose — to operate the circular railway and to build its infrastructure. The railway had started selling if off for residential and commercial purposes which could not be allowed.

The officials expressed the apprehension that if the railways kept on selling the land along the circular railway tracks, all of the land would be used for commercial and residential purposes which would severely hamper the efforts to revive the KCR operation.

“This action of the PR will sabotage the efforts to restore KCR operations and deprive the citizens of a cheap, safe and most convenient mode of transport,” a senior provincial government official said. Apart from extension in tracks of the KCR, its operation on short-term basis could also hang in the balance, he feared.

Sources said that the KCR was a necessity of the metropolis as the existing public transport was not enough to meet the present demands. They said 5,000 buses were still needed, which would not only contribute to the immense air and noise pollution but would also further increase the volume of vehicular traffic and raise the occurrence of road accidents.