One of major causes of damage to locomotives is the use of contaminated oil.

This was disclosed in a joint meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly on Railways and Monitoring and Implementation Committee on Railways, presided over by MNAs Yasmeen Rehman and Sardar Ayyaz Sadiq at Railway Headquarters here on Saturday.

In a briefing after the meeting, Sardar Ayyaz Sadiq, Chairman PAC, told the media that five issues were discussed in the meeting and directions were issued to officers concerned.

He said that a two-member committee which was probing the issue of contaminated oil in locomotives told a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly that 198 locomotives were damaged due to the usage of used oil and the cost of one locomotive was more that $3 to 4 million.

He said the committees had directed the PR administration to fix responsibility and present a comprehensive report in the next meeting.

He said that another issue which was discussed in the meeting was the theft of radiators and a team of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) told the meeting that two radiators had been traced in Peshawar and accused would soon be arrested.

He said that the FIA was directed to submit a detailed report after one month on the theft of radiators.

Ayyaz said that theft of diesel was also discussed and Railway Police informed the committees that it had traced almost all accused and they would soon be arrested.

Discussing the constitution of Railway Board, he said that all decisions that were taken by the PR Executive Committee were illegal and several cases were pending due to the unavailability of the board, adding that law ministry was directed to take up the case.

Regarding illegal allotment of 460 plots to 180 Railway Officers, Yasmeen Rehman told the media that a committee was formed to probe the issue which told the meeting that only 100 officers responded to it but the committee was not satisfied with their answers.

She said that plots had been sold to other people and it was directed to the committee to decide what rate should be fixed and how to recover the price of the plots from owners.