KARACHI, Feb 03 (APP):Federal Railways Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed assured Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah that his ministry would extend maximum cooperation for restoration and start the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project at the earliest.
The Federal Minister for Railways along with a five-member delegation called on Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM’s House here on Monday.
Talking about removal of encroachment along the KCR route, the chief minister said that out of 38 kilometres, 33 kilometres have been cleared and only five kilometers were left.
The Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani said that the remaining portion would also be cleared from the encroachers soon.
Shaikh Rashid and the chief minister constituted a committee under commissioner Karachi with DS Railways Karachi and other concerned offers as its members to clear encroachments from remaining part of the KCR route. The committee has been directed to clear the way within a month and report the authority concerned.
The federal minister also said that the affectees of Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) will be relocated at some other land site of Pakistan Railways.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said that we must make all the arrangements, including clearance of the right of Way, documentation and relevant paper work by end of the March.
He observed in his remarks that the KCR together with allied Mass Transit projects were the ultimate solution for mega city of Karachi.
Shaikh Rasheed and CM Sindh also agreed to constitute another committee to discuss modalities for resolving all issues with in a month, for handing over the Karachi Urban Transport Company to the Sindh Government.
They agreed that the committee comprising Commissioner Karachi and DS Railways that will make efforts to resolve all issues of KUTC ahead of the next meeting of Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of China Pakistan Economic Corridor which is expected to be held in next month.
The chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the KUTC would have to file an application with Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan for change of the KUTC administration.
Shaikh Rasheed said that the SECP has already been asked that the KUTC Administration has to be handed over to Sindh.
Shaikh Rasheed was accompanied by Secretary / Chairman Railways Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani, CEO / Sr. GM Railways Dost Ali Leghari, DS Railways Nasir Memon, DG Planning Railways Syed Mazhar Ali and Additional General Manager Pakistan Railways Furrukh Taimoor while Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani and others were also present.
Talking to Shaikh Rasheed, the CM Sindh said he had visited China on December 29, 2016 and it was agreed during the visit that the Chinese authorities would provide the facility of Circular Railways in the provincial headquarters in all four provinces.
It may be noted here that the KCR route is 43.13 km long with 14.95 km at grade and 28.18 km elevated.
It would be connected with airport just after completion of the original project. It would have 8.3 km priority section – from Wazir mansion to Manghopir. There would be 24 stations, of them 14 would elevated stations and 10 at-grade and KCR would have a separate yard.
The KCR route starts from Wazir Mansion, Lyari, Baldia, Shah Abdul Latif, SITE, Manghopir (The priority Section), HBL, Orangabad, Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Yaseenabad, Gilani, Nipa, Alladin Park, Johar, Drigh Road, Karsaz, Shaheed-e-Millat, Chanesar, Naval at Korangi Road, Karachi Cant, DOCs, Karachi City, Tower and Wazir Mansion.
It may be noted that from Drigh Road an extension of KCR would be constructed for Jinnah terminal via Drigh Colony, Star Gate and Jinnah Terminal.
