The parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Railway yesterday decided to free all railway lands and other properties from the hands of illegal occupiers.
They also discussed many development plans during their meeting at the Central Railway Building (CRB) in the city, said Chairman of the committee ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury. Although this is the seventh meeting of the committee, it is the first in the port city.
“We have zero tolerance on this and whosoever will be evicted from the railway lands,’ he said, adding that railway signboards would be set up on the reclaimed lands.
‘We are making the list of illegal railway land grabbers, including railway officials. Legal action would be taken against them. Nobody would be spared,” he said.
Chairman Fazle Karim said there was also a plan to set up a medical college hospital, super market and a five star hotel on the railway lands.
Bangladesh Railway (BR) will be getting a new colour very soon while a common colour would be used in trains. The colour was yet to be finalised, he said.
Railway Minister Md Mazibul Hoque said Laksham-Chinki Astana Double Railway could be inaugurated by the prime minister next month as the remodeling work of the Chittagong Railway Station and some other stations were now in the final stages.
He also said the ministry would purchase 120 coaches with Indian financing and 150 coaches with ADB financing to add them to the railway fleet within the next six months.
Besides, 46 locomotive engines would be added to the railway while tenders for 70 locomotive engines were already floated, he said; adding that a400 -coach purchase from Malaysia was also in the railway department’s pipeline.
The minister pointed out that 41 development projects were now going on under this government and said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia instigated the Jamaat-Shibir to destroy the crore railway properties, a sector which they did not develop.
“Tarique, staying in London, is delivering false, indecent and derogatory comments about the father of the nation which had created factions in the BNP itself,” he said.
Railway track expansion from Chittagong to Cox’s Bazar, Bay link road near Chittagong Port, Demu Train Service in Nazirhat of Hathazari upazila in Chittagong and some other issues were discussed at the meeting.
Earlier, the committee visited the diesel and the carriage and wagon workshops in the Pahartoli area.
The minister, after visiting the establishments, said all workers were not present at the factory. The relevant departments would be asked the reason for their absence.
He said they had visited the factories to gear up the work speed of the factories and to ensure better contribution from the staff and officials.
“We found some problems, some limitations and some weak points. We will discuss the matters, and take up measures to run the factories properly in future without any problems,” he said.
Parliamentary standing committee chief Fazle Karim said they would also see how the factories could be run in a better way. “We are also thinking how to utilize the existing assets in a way better than at present,” he added.
Committee members Muslem Uddin, Shirajul Islam Mollah, Mohammad Noman, Yeasin Ali, Ministry Secretary Mansur Ali, BR Directorate General Tofazzal Hossain and BR (East) General Manager Mozammel Hoque were also present at the meeting.
