LAHORE, Jan 9: The Pakistan Railways will be paid for granting ownership rights for kutcha abadis on its land, says Minister Ghaus Bakhsh Mehr.

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, he said the Directorate of Kutcha Abadis, Punjab, and the Lahore city government would recover the amount from the residents and deposit it with the railways as the organization had not surrendered its land free of cost.

However, he said, the land had not been surrendered at market rate as its price had already been fixed under a cabinet decision.

The Punjab chief minister and the railways minister had distributed proprietary rights among the residents of some kutcha abadis in the city on Wednesday “in a bid to win support for PML-Q nominee for PP-147 Abdul Aleem Khan.”

Railways minister Mehr said granting of ownership rights would not be confined to the Punjab.

He told a questioner that introduction of fast trains, increasing the number of lower AC bogies and doubling of Karachi-to-Peshawar track would be on top of his priorities.

The previous management did not even prepare PC-I for doubling Lahore-Rawalpindi track. “I shall do my best to complete paper work by June so that funds for the project could be allocated in the next year’s budget,” said Mr Mehr.

About earnings of the institution, he said passenger trains across the world were incurring losses which were recovered through subsidies by the governments. He, however, said the PR management was trying to enhance its revenue through increased and better goods transportation.

At least 1,300 more wagons were being purchased to reduce the time required in hauling luggage from dryports to upcountry, he said.

He said the railways would be made a corporation by June.

He told a questioner that though PR operations to Afghanistan through Landi Kotal and Chaman had increased during the last quarter, however, it was not as much as was being expected by the authorities.

About illegal actions taken against some employees during the last three years, he said he had so far received 20 applications and was going through them personally.

About the vigilance cell being run by army in the organization, he said it would be disbanded as soon as he would see improvement in the working of the railway staff.