May 31, 2006	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 3, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 30: The Ministry of Information Technology will fully automate Pakistan Railways with a view to providing online services to the corporate customers and passengers. This was announced by Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari following a meeting with Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Tuesday. Secretary Information Technology Farrakh Qayyum and Railways Chairman Shakeel Durrani also attended the meeting.

Mr Leghari said his ministry was ready to bear the cost to be incurred on the automation of various processes within the railways in an effort to introduce a paper-less environment in Pakistan’s biggest public sector organisation. “We are in the process of finalising a project that envisages automation of ticketing and freight/cargo system which will allow people to buy tickets through internet and keep track of their freight or cargo consignments,” he said.

He said the project to be rolled out by January next year, would provide for an electronic office which would entirely replace the traditional mode of ticketing to save time and money of the people intending to travel through trains.

Mr Leghari said a major component of the project would be introduction of e-procurement system within railways which would help save 20-24 per cent cost incurred on procurement carried out on day-to-day basis. “We have already introduced e-procurement in several government departments in an effort to make the entire procurement process cost-effective,” he said.

He said his ministry would also involve local IT companies in the project by out-sourcing entire work process and maintenance to them. “While we encourage international players to bid for the project, they will be required to enter into partnership with the Pakistan-based IT firms which will act as their front-office and provide job opportunities to the young IT professionals,” he said.

Mr Leghari said his ministry would also assist Pakistan Railways in setting up a call centre facility, and interact with mobile phone companies to set up a system that would allow people to get information about arrival and departure of trains in advance to be able to plan their journey accordingly.