LAHORE, Oct 29: Minister for Railways Mian Shamim Haider was optimistic on Saturday the PR would meet its budgetary targets for the current fiscal year.

“The railway will reach break-even by the end of the current fiscal year,” the minister said at the stone-laying ceremony of cargo scanner installation project at the Mughalpura Dry-port here.

He said the freight income had decreased for the time being after oil supply from Karachi started through pipeline. However, he added: “We are exploring other avenues to increase freight income and hopefully overcome the deficit in two or three months.”

The Pakistan Railways, he said, was trying to get more freight wagons and locomotives at the earliest and China had been asked to expedite the supply of the same.

Dry-ports, he said, played a vital role in the economy of the country. “Keeping in view the increasing economic activities in the country, which are the result of the policies of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, there is a dire need to establish modern dry-ports,” he added.

New dry-ports in all big cities of the country would be established. At present, a proposal was under consideration to set up dry-ports at Shahdara, Sheikhupura and Raiwind.

Efforts were under way to acquire additional land for the expansion of Mughalpura Dry-port. “This will help overcome congestion here and will facilitate handling of additional traffic in future,” he said.

Cargo scanners would be installed at all dry-ports by the end of current financial year to facilitate the traders community, he said and added: “My doors are always open for the businessmen.”

Later, the minister told journalists the railways’ phased relief operation was still in progress for the quake victims.

Around 3,000 free passes were issued to the residents of Azad Kashmir and NWFP working in other cities, in the first phase, he said.

In the second phase, 11 freight trains were operated for free transportation of relief goods from different cities to the places near the affected areas, while the injured people were being treated at 13 medical camps.