Lok Sabha Question No. 2971 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-02
Subject: Unused Land
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RAMCHARAN BOHARA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2971 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2017

## UNUSED LAND

## †2971.      SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any survey in respect of  unused  land  available  with  the  Railways  during  the  last  three years and if so, the State-wise  details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is formulating any plan for commercial use of such unused land and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the name of States where maximum and minimum unused land is available;
- (d) whether the Government has formulated/proposes to formulate any  scheme  to  earn  revenue  from  unused  land  available  with  the railways in Rajasthan; and
- (e)    if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) to (e):   A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2971 BY SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 02.08.2017 REGARDING UNUSED LAND

(a)  to  (e):    Railways  have  vacant  land  which  is  mostly  in  the  form  of narrow  strips  along  the  tracks.    The  fifteen  (15)  metre  width  of  this strip from toe of the embankment comes under safety zone, as most of the electrical, signalling and other installations required for operation of trains lie in this zone, and this width is also used for servicing and maintenance  of  track,  bridges  and  other  railway  infrastructure.  The vacant  land  is  also  utilized  for  execution  of  various  infrastructural projects  for  meeting  future  growth  needs  of  Railways  which  include projects like doubling/tripling and traffic facilities works, etc. Railways' operations  also  necessarily  require  development  of  ancillary  logistic support/infrastructure  such  as  bulk  oil  installations  and  oil  depots, steel  yards,  concrete  sleeper  plants,  coal  dumps,  connectivity  to private sidings, connectivity to ports and other infrastructure, commercial plots, vending stalls, etc. for which land is leased/licensed. The vacant land, which is not required by Railways for its immediate operational  needs,  is  utilized  in  the  interim  period  for  commercial development through Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), wherever feasible, in order to mobilize additional financial resources. At present 497 hectares (approximately) of land has been entrusted to RLDA for commercial development to earn revenue which also includes 30.43 hectares of land in Rajasthan. The details of Zonal Railway-wise vacant railway land for which data is maintained in the Ministry during the last three years are given below:

(Figures in hectares)

| Zonal Railway   |   As on 31.03.2015 |   As on 31.03.2016 |   As on 31.03.2017 |
|-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| Central         |            2738.81 |             2680.7 |            2293.77 |

| Eastern      |   2245.69 |   2246.91 |   2172.80 |
|--------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| East Central |   4299.16 |   4298.43 |   4148.06 |
| East Coast   |   2708.98 |   2840.04 |   3138.03 |

...2/-

- 2 -

| Zonal Railway      |   As on 31.03.2015 |   As on 31.03.2016 |   As on 31.03.2017 |
|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| Northern           |            8120.36 |           11990.7  |           11612.4  |
| North Central      |             746.52 |             787.52 |             740.02 |
| North Eastern      |            5771.4  |            5770.37 |            5564.67 |
| Northeast Frontier |            1332.58 |            1401.65 |            1406.82 |
| North Western      |             437.69 |            1278.08 |            1277.35 |
| Southern           |            2577.04 |            2721.98 |            2725.7  |
| South Central      |            1364.9  |            1363.67 |            1284.49 |
| South Eastern      |             468.24 |             470.17 |             703.16 |
| South East Central |            3161.28 |            3331.15 |            3159.48 |
| South Western      |            4190.92 |            4245.18 |            4431.98 |
| Western            |            5203.83 |            5875.9  |            5889.07 |
| West Central       |             486.48 |             621.12 |             617.39 |
| Total              |           45853.9  |           51923.6  |           51165.2  |

As on 31.03.2017 maximum vacant land available is on Northern Railway (11612.40 hectares) and minimum vacant land available is on West Central Railway (617.39 hectares). *****