LAHORE, July 21: Railway Minister Ghaus Bux Maher says a proposal is under consideration to increase rail fares.
He was talking to reporters after the first batch of railway police commandos passed out at the Walton training school here on Monday.
Mr Maher said the increase in the current year was inevitable to offset the burden of swollen bill of salaries and pensions and high diesel prices.
If finalized, the fare increase would be up to 15 per cent, he added.
When his attention was drawn towards the current downward trend in oil prices in the world market, the minister said the prices had shot up several times during the last 10 years whereas the railway had not increased its fares accordingly.
Earlier, the minister inspected the parade. He said on the occasion the police needed latest weapons and communication gadgets along with training to improve their performance.
He promised to arrange more funds for the purpose.
Mr Maher said Rs46 million had been provided to police for the purchase of arms and communication devices during the last fiscal year, while Rs27 million would be given during the current fiscal.
Total railway police budget for the current year is Rs320 million.
He said it was the duty of the police to solve the problems of passengers as well as guarding railway assets and passengers. “To achieve the goal, it is necessary to create a passion for serving the people among the policemen besides training them.”
He said like other countries, Pakistan was witnessing an increased wave of terrorism and capacity building of railway police was essential to countering it.
Expressing his satisfaction over the display of commandos’ performance, he hoped that IG Ahmad Nasim would work to achieve the target of bringing railway police at par with motorway police.
Mr Nasim, in his welcome address, apprised the minister of the problems being faced by the railway police, especially in transport and communications sectors.
He sought more funds for improving transport and communication facilities and purchase of ammunition, saying it was necessary to enhance police performance. He also demanded allocations for enhancing capacity of the training school for organizing commando and refresher courses simultaneously.
At present, the school can accommodate 100 participants.
He also stressed the need for constructing a separate block for women police.
Later, Mr Maher distributed shields among the participants who had showed extraordinary performance in the first four-month commando training course.
At least 113 policemen, among them eight women, from all the seven railway divisions had participated in the course in which they were trained in swimming, raiding, ambushing, searching and cordoning off, locating criminals’ hideouts, handling explosives, martial arts, river crossing, action against terrorism, climbing and repelling, etc.