ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways paid Rs80 million in tax to the Federal Board of Revenue during the outgoing fiscal year.
This was revealed during a meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Pakistan Railways.
The raised questions over the leasing out of the railway land to the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Bahawalpur.
The committee headed by Senator Fateh Muhammad Hassani took strong exception to the issue questioning who authorized the deputy commissioner to lease out the railway land to the housing authority.
The committee was informed that the leasing out of 34 acres of railway land to the DHA Bahawalpur will cause billion of rupees loss to the railway as it will require diversion of a 140-kilometre railway track.
The Senate committee asked the Chief Secretary Punjab and railway and defence ministry officials to brief the panel on the leasing out the issue at the next meeting.
The committee was informed that a summary regarding the leasing out of the railway land, dispatched to Punjab chief minister, has been taken back.
Senator Hassani said that the deputy commissioner Bahawalpur has illegally leased out the railway land to the DHA. “Who has given the deputy commissioner the authority to lease the railway land illegally?” he questioned.
Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq said that the case regarding the lease was pending in a civil court and they will also consult the higher judiciary in this regard. The minister said that they will have to divert 140-kilometre railway track due to the lease of 34-acre to the DHA.
Senator Taj Haider said that a prized railway land located on II Chandigarh Road in Karachi has also been handed over to Etisalat.
The committee chairman recommended that the railway should be operated on a commercial basis and salaries of the employees should be increased. The federal minister said that Rs70,000 per month salary of train drivers was fewer and they were increasing the remuneration to Rs100,000 per month.
