ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways generated Rs 81.724 million by leasing out unutilized land of the railway available on Mardan-Dargai section, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) for various purposes during the last five yeaRs
The railway land was leased out on both the short and long term basis, official sources in the Ministry of Railways told APP. Giving break-up, they said, the land was leased out for agriculture at Rs 0.204 million, parking at Rs 0.29 million, stacking at Rs 2.44 million and tehbazari at Rs 6.45 million.
The lease included shops at Rs 1.96 million, cattle fares at Rs 0.64 million, row for the construction of flyover at Takht Bhai at Rs 0.55 million, buildings at Rs 2.715 million and goods shed at Rs 2.937 million besides giving land for other commercial activities at Rs 63.536 million.
The available railway land is leased out in a transparent manner through open public auction by fixing bench mark/reserve price of auction after evaluation, they added. They said the entire section between Mardan-Dargai Railway Stations was free from any unauthorized occupation and encroachments.
In case of any temporary encroachments like hand carts, wheel barrows etc these are immediately handled effectively by carrying out clean-up operations in coordination with the District Administration, the sources said.
They said that at present, 357.20 acres of railway land exists over Mardan-Dargai section having worth of Rs 1412.00 million approximately.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways would start earning an extra Rs 140 million per year through advertisements on trains, Railway stations.
Different companies would be persuaded to advertise their brands on express trains and railway stations to earn money. In this regard Pakistan Railways’s attached department Pakistan Railways Advisory and Consultancy Services (Pracs) has awarded a tender to a private company which will allow companies to advertise their brands on trains and railways stations, sources in the Pracs told APP.
The agreement between Pracs and SQ Communication will add to the income of the railway which is struggling to streamline its revenues flow, they added. They said that Pakistan Railways has outsourced the project to Pracs, that will take a 15 percent share out of the total revenues generated in a year.
It was not the first time that the department has permitted advertisements on its assets and a similar experiment had been made in 2007, but the venture did not last long and ended with the change in government, they added.
They said that it was a one-year contract to tackle this challenge and communicated to the successful bidder that the contract can be extended if things go smooth.
Initially five trains namely Awam Express, Hazara Express, Karachi Express, Khyber Mail and Tezgam will be offered for the advertisement of brands, a apart from the trains, access will be provided to 14 railway stations on the Main Line-I for the advertisements, they added.
