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PR to issue NOCs for govt uplift projects soon: minister

2025-06-01
LAHORE:MinisterforRailways Hanif Abbasi says that the no objection certificates (NOCs) required by the Punjab government for its various projects would be issued soon.

`We have no issue with the Punjab government and will soon issue all NOCs required for completion of various projects,` Mr Abbasi said while talking to Dawn.

`We have a great liaison with the government of Punjab,` he claimed.

When asked why the railways divisional superintendent (DS) had earlier stated that the department would not issue NOCs to the provincial government till clearance of dues, the minister said: `There is no issue at all and we will issue NOCs soon. Everything is OK`.

The minister revealed that the Punjab government was support-ing the railways to uplift its infrastructure and resolve other issues.

According to him, the government had pledged to provide free WiFi service at 40 major railway stations. The government also joined hands with railways to make the Kot Lakhpat railway area green with plantation of trees, the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has started digitising the railways while the government has promised to upgrade 40 inter-city local train routes as well as uplift of the Lahore-Rawalpindi track with Rs40bn.

Mr Abbasi said the government had also ordered the departments concerned to provide 300 model handcarts to the vendors within the limits of railways (Lahore city).

`How we can stop issuance of NOCs to the government, which is cooperating with us on variousmatters,` the minister said.

It may be recalled that the Pakistan Railways (Lahore Division) administration had on May 21 told this reporter about halting issuance of NOCs to the Punjab government for five projects in Hafizabad, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and Toba Tek Singh due to nonpayment of dues related to an ongoing project (construction ofunderpass)in Gojra (Toba Tek Singh) and the Ek Moria Pul Widening Project (Lahore).

The minister said there were as many 1755 unmanned railway level crossings across the country and they require to be manned to avert any untoward incident. For this, the provincial governments should come forward and help the department to man them. KH ALID H ASNADV