Railways retrieve 293.56 acre land from encroachers

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways had retrieved 293.56 acres land from the encroachers through an anti encroachment operation across the country during the period of eleven months. “The encroachment operation is launched with the assistance of railway police and district administration of the provincial government,” an official in the Ministry of Railways revealed. Giving a divisional wise breakup, he said that Pakistan railways had retrieved 143.45 acres from Punjab, 80.54 acres form Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 59.8 acres from Sindh and 9.77 acres from Balochistan. The official said Pakistan Railway had owned 167,690 acres land all over the country out of which Punjab had 90,326 acres, Sindh 39,428 acres, Balochistan 28,228 acres and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had 9,708 acres. He said the Geographic Information System (GIS) based survey had also been conducted under the project of computerization of railway land record in which all the encroachments and leases etc had been recorded in the Pakistan Railway Land Management Information System (PRLMS) software. The official said the database was under verification and being compiled. To a question, he said P-Way labour was not being allowed to work on Khost-Sibi section since January 2018 by FC Balochistan and laying of ballast from 1 to 134 kilometer was also held up due to non-provision of security. He said the contractor, M/S National Logistics Cell (NLC) had to face difficulties due to non-availability of road approach to the site of work and on account of law and order situation as the area was a no go. The official said the track rehabilitation work which was being carried out by division was suspended due to security reasons and the work would take six months subject to availability of proper protection by law enforcing agencies. He said in this regard a meeting had been held by the Divisional Superintendent, Pakistan Railways, Quetta and Superintendent Railways Police, Quetta with Chief Secretary Balochistan. The official said the Chief Secretary assured that request of Pakistan Railways for provision of sufficient security would be taken in earnest and arrangement through Levies would be made available on sustainable grounds and on the mutually agreed terms between the government of Balochistan and Pakistan Railways.