11-12-2011, 03:36 AM
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PR continues to bleed, widespread corruption alleged
Chinese companies fail to deliver despite lucrative contracts
* PR rehab possible only via public-private partnership
ISLAMABAD: Budget deficit of Pakistan Railways (PR) shoot up to Rs 60 billion, while Railways has been facing accumulated loss of Rs 90 million monthly because of suspension of freight and passenger trains.
According to some well-placed sources in the Ministry of Railways, the ship of Pakistan railways sank down because of high budget deficit and rehabilitation of this profiteer giant could be possible only with the help of public-private partnership.
He revealed on condition of anonymity that in September 2009, [color="#FF0000"]an amount of Rs 1.5 billion was given as an advance to Chinese Company for purchase of 69 locomotives.[/color]
According to the written statement submitted by former Minister Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed before the Apex court in context of the sou-moto action taken by chief justice of Pakistan on massive corruption in Pakistan Railways, there are more than 12 to 20 qualified mechanics in mechanical department of PR, who could repair the inoperative engines, have been sent on forced leave with malafide intention so that the old engines may not be repaired and instead of repairing the old engines, new engines may be imported, which is a huge loss to the national exchequer.
He alleged that because of negligence and malafide actions by six high officials, three General Managers (GMs) including Saeed Akhtar along with the same number of Additional General Managers (AGMs), no freight train was operational and 124 passenger trains have also been closed down in near past.
Another shocking revelation maintained that Sameen Gandapur of Grade 18 was posted as Chief Purchase Officer against a post of Grade-20, at the instance of the Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, to indulge in irregularities and to cover up the same, while millions of rupees were spent to renovate and furnish his bungalow in Mayo Garden, Lahore.
It was further revealed that there was a fleet of 528 locomotives, [color="#FF0000"]while only 57 locomotives observed in working condition[/color] and in this context GM (Operations) Muhammad Ishfaq Khattak also expressed serious concerns over massive irregularities in a letter written to higher authorities dated on March 19, 2011.
Letter exclusively available with Daily Times disclosed that a project of Rs 14 billion for repair of signals has been given to favourites in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority PPRA Rules and Regulations.
Document further stated that the last census of locomotives depicted a grim situation and [color="#FF0000"]out of the 500 locomotives only 156 were functioning with a compliment of four to six traction motors,[/color] while federal cabinet in its meeting of December 29, 2010, approved Rs 6.1 billion package for repair of 145 locomotives, while unfortunately the amount was yet to be disbursed.
It further said that there was one major reason for this grim situation, [color="#FF0000"]it was the non-availability of locomotives from the latest fleet of 69 Chinese locomotives, while $15.2 million ââ¬ÅMaintenance and Spares Contractââ¬Â signed with Dalian Locomotive Works, China, in September 2009 had failed to produce any results, even after the passage of almost eighteen months, none of the about 50 locomotives has been brought into operations.[/color]
Railways has been [color="#FF0000"]importing 200 coaches from China at the cost of four times higher price[/color] than the ones being produced at Carriage Factory, Islamabad. 20 to 30 coaches per month were produced at Carriage Factory, Islamabad and now the labour has no work to do as the coaches are being imported and that too at a higher price. The Carriage Factory at Islamabad manufactured 400 coaches earlier.
Cheers![[Image: beer.gif]](http://www.skyscrapercity.com/images/smilies/beer.gif)
PR continues to bleed, widespread corruption alleged
Chinese companies fail to deliver despite lucrative contracts
* PR rehab possible only via public-private partnership
ISLAMABAD: Budget deficit of Pakistan Railways (PR) shoot up to Rs 60 billion, while Railways has been facing accumulated loss of Rs 90 million monthly because of suspension of freight and passenger trains.
According to some well-placed sources in the Ministry of Railways, the ship of Pakistan railways sank down because of high budget deficit and rehabilitation of this profiteer giant could be possible only with the help of public-private partnership.
He revealed on condition of anonymity that in September 2009, [color="#FF0000"]an amount of Rs 1.5 billion was given as an advance to Chinese Company for purchase of 69 locomotives.[/color]
According to the written statement submitted by former Minister Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed before the Apex court in context of the sou-moto action taken by chief justice of Pakistan on massive corruption in Pakistan Railways, there are more than 12 to 20 qualified mechanics in mechanical department of PR, who could repair the inoperative engines, have been sent on forced leave with malafide intention so that the old engines may not be repaired and instead of repairing the old engines, new engines may be imported, which is a huge loss to the national exchequer.
He alleged that because of negligence and malafide actions by six high officials, three General Managers (GMs) including Saeed Akhtar along with the same number of Additional General Managers (AGMs), no freight train was operational and 124 passenger trains have also been closed down in near past.
Another shocking revelation maintained that Sameen Gandapur of Grade 18 was posted as Chief Purchase Officer against a post of Grade-20, at the instance of the Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, to indulge in irregularities and to cover up the same, while millions of rupees were spent to renovate and furnish his bungalow in Mayo Garden, Lahore.
It was further revealed that there was a fleet of 528 locomotives, [color="#FF0000"]while only 57 locomotives observed in working condition[/color] and in this context GM (Operations) Muhammad Ishfaq Khattak also expressed serious concerns over massive irregularities in a letter written to higher authorities dated on March 19, 2011.
Letter exclusively available with Daily Times disclosed that a project of Rs 14 billion for repair of signals has been given to favourites in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority PPRA Rules and Regulations.
Document further stated that the last census of locomotives depicted a grim situation and [color="#FF0000"]out of the 500 locomotives only 156 were functioning with a compliment of four to six traction motors,[/color] while federal cabinet in its meeting of December 29, 2010, approved Rs 6.1 billion package for repair of 145 locomotives, while unfortunately the amount was yet to be disbursed.
It further said that there was one major reason for this grim situation, [color="#FF0000"]it was the non-availability of locomotives from the latest fleet of 69 Chinese locomotives, while $15.2 million ââ¬ÅMaintenance and Spares Contractââ¬Â signed with Dalian Locomotive Works, China, in September 2009 had failed to produce any results, even after the passage of almost eighteen months, none of the about 50 locomotives has been brought into operations.[/color]
Railways has been [color="#FF0000"]importing 200 coaches from China at the cost of four times higher price[/color] than the ones being produced at Carriage Factory, Islamabad. 20 to 30 coaches per month were produced at Carriage Factory, Islamabad and now the labour has no work to do as the coaches are being imported and that too at a higher price. The Carriage Factory at Islamabad manufactured 400 coaches earlier.
Cheers