LAHORE: Struggling for expediting procedure to begin work on over $8 billion Main Line-1 (ML-1) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan Railways immediately wants approval of the finance ministry to use Rs2.368 billion — seed money allocated for completing feasibility study and initiating other preparatory works to connect Azad Jammu and Kashmir with the national rail network — for rehabilitation of track in southern Sindh, especially the Sukkur division (existing main line) keeping in view the increasing derailments.

The PR has formally requested the federal government in this regard through a recent letter, Dawn has learnt.

“PR owns a track network of 7,791-km which connects all the major cities in Pakistan. Owing to persistent neglect of the railways sector by successive governments, the condition of track infrastructure has gone from bad to worse,” reads the letter.

It mentions that the recent derailments and accidents especially in Sukkur division bears testimony to this effect. And in order to ensure safety [of train operations], the track infrastructure needs to be rehabilitated on an emergency basis.

Derailments prompt railways to seek approval of finance ministry to use Rs2.368bn seed money

The letter reveals that after dissolution of the Kashmir Railways Company, its seed money amounting to Rs2.368bn has been deposited with PSDP (Public Sector Development Programme) account XVIII being maintained by the State Bank of Pakistan for PSDP-funded projects.

“In view of the foregoing, it is requested that subject funds amounting to Rs2.368bn may be allocated to PSDP of Ministry of Railways in order to execute decaying track rehabilitation works especially in Sukkur division to ensure safety of train operation and rehabilitation of coaches and locomotives,” it says.

On the other hand, the PR administration, which considers launch and completion of the ML-1 under CPEC important in view of ensuring safe train operations, is worried over the slow pace of procedural works on the ML-1.

In a very recent meeting of the Cabinet Committee on CPEC, minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was reportedly found unhappy with the planning commission’s authorities for making no progress on the strategic project (ML-1). The minister, during the meeting had even declared the planning commission a major hurdle in the way of launching ML-1. He was also reported to have said the project had been slowed down ever since government’s entering into an IMF programme.

“The minister is really upset these days due to slow procedural work on ML-1 and the increasing derailments. That is why he expressed his displeasure in the meeting held on Monday with the planning commission,” said a railway source.

“The main reason for slow work is the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that is currently investigating senior officials in a couple of references sent by the National Highway Authority (NHA) on the orders of the communication minister regarding some motorway projects under CPEC. As a result officers are afraid of deciding genuine cases,” the official said.

He said keeping in view the situation, the PR, side by side, started efforts to use the aforementioned funds for immediately launching rehabilitation of the decaying rail track.

He said the funds had been allocated in 2014 by the PML-N government after former premier Nawaz Sharif desired to connect AJK (Muzaffarabad) with the country’s rail network. So a feasibility study was conducted. However, the government later desired to add Murree in the feasibility study in 2017. However, it couldn’t be completed due to political uncertainty in the country and the remaining amount of Rs2.368bn remained unused.

On the other hand, the PR on Tuesday removed Chief Mechanical Engineer Saminullah Gandapur and Chief Operating Superintendent Muhammad Farooq Iqbal Malik from the posts, appointing Abdul Malik (DG-Technical) and Amir Ali Baloch (DG-Operations) in their place, respectively.

“These officials have been transferred for their alleged failure to maintain smooth operation,” another source said.

The ministry also placed services of two senior operational officials of PR’s Sukkur division under suspension for failure of a diesel engine of a coal train at Yousafwala (Sahiwal). It also suspended station master (Kala Shah Kaku) and all those responsible for a recent derailment of KBS ballast train that caused disruption of rail traffic at the main line.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2019