KARACHI, Oct 28: A meeting held to review the work of the Task Force set up by the prime minister for revival of the Karachi Circular Railway on Thursday decided to revive the KCR by January, 2005.

Presiding over a meeting at the divisional headquarters, the State Minister for railways Ishaq Khakwani directed the railway authorities to extend full cooperation to the Sindh government and provide every technical assistance for implementation of the plan.

The minister said that the federal government would contribute 60 per cent expenses for the restoration of the KCR, while the provincial government would provide 40 per cent funding. He added the same formula would apply to the financial recovery from the project after its completion.

The minister informed the meeting that two new tracks would be laid from City Station to Landhi at a cost of Rs60 million. He directed the authorities to workout a timeframe for completion of these tracks.

The state minister directed the officials concerned that a new feasibility report for the revival of KCR be prepared jointly by the railway and the city government and submitted within a week.

The Railways DS informed the meeting that earlier a feasibility report was prepared by the Railways, whereby the revival of KCR would have cost Rs120 million. However, with the damage caused to the infrastructure, the cost was likely to go up further, he added.

The meeting was informed that there were 14 stations on route of the circular railway, which had been lying closed since long.

It was stated that in Karachi there were 22 railway crossings, out of which 15 were located on busy roads.

The meeting was told that 14 under-passes in the city would be constructed at a cost of Rs259 million.

It was further informed that 70 per cent of the railway land was under encroachments and removal of the same would required a major action.

It was decided that Gilani Railway station would be made a model station of circular railway, while the commercial plazas would be constructed on railway land adjoining the Karachi Bandar, Orangi, North Nazimabad and Liaquatabbad railway stations with the cooperation of various industrial and commercial organizations.

Various organizations would be induced to adopt the KCR stations.

Later, the minister, accompanied by the meeting participants, had a trolley inspection of the KCR tracks and other infrastructure facilities, including station buildings etc. He went from the City Station to the Gillani Railway Station in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

The meeting was also attended by the Task Force chairman and Sindh Labour Minister Mohammed Adil Siddiqi, DCO Mir Hussain Ali, EDO (Transport) Dr Tahir Soomro, Railway Divisional Superintendent Junaid Qureshi, Mass Transit Director-General Malik Zahirul Islam and others. -APP