Inaugurating the Karachi Circular Railway for goods traffic at its Nazimabad station, the Minister said that the Government attached “high priority” to the question of improvement of transport facilities and to this end allocations were being substantially increased progressively.

Thus, from a total expenditure of Rs23.35 crores in the first seven years after Independence, the expenditure during the first Five-Year Plan period rose to Rs63.7 crores, while it was expected to rise to Rs100 crores during the Second Plan period, he said.

The Minister said that keeping in view the growing needs of the fast developing City of Karachi, the Government has been undertaking projects from time to time to cope with the situation.

In this connection he cited the construction of the Karachi-Korangi line to serve the Korangi Township, the remodelling of the Karachi City Goods Marshalling Yard, the remodelling of the Karachi Cantonment Station Yard, and the installation of power signalling on the Karachi-Landhi section.

The opening of the circular railway for goods traffic, which is the first stage towards the opening of the new line for all description of traffic, including the passenger traffic, Mr Abdul Waheed Khan said, will not only ease the pressure on existing freight terminals in Karachi area, but also bring railway facilities “close to the user, thereby resulting in cheaper transport”.—Staff Correspondent