05-26-2010, 10:59 AM
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Railways will be split into four commercial companies ‘very soon’ in line with the decision of the Cabinet Committee for Restructuring two years ago, said Railways Secretary Samiul Haq Khilji on Tuesday. Khilji said the committee’s decision would be implemented in true sprit, to enhance the capacity of the Railways and to run the department on a purely commercial basis. “There is no resistance whatsoever at the formation of commercial companies at any level in the department,” he told Daily Times. Khilji said that to enhance the performance of the Railways, the department would be divided into four commercial companies, which would have separate chief executive officers (CEO) and board of directors. “The formation of the existing board of directors is odd, as it consists of five to six federal secretaries, who find it hard to meet at a specific time due to their official commitments”, the secretary added. However, a well-placed source in the Pakistan Railways said despite the approval from the committee, the top brass of the Railways was not in favour of implementing the decision. “The government wants to break up the department into four commercial companies, keeping in view the division of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), which was in the past divided into different distribution companies”, the source said. The source added that due to heavy losses, almost 12 trains, which were plying between small stations and towns in Rawalpindi were shut down, but it was unfair to the dwellers of these towns, as they have no road links. In some areas, the trains were the only source of transportation for the people. tahir rashid