Lok Sabha Question No. 3904 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-09
Subject: Vacant Land
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RAMCHARAN BOHARA, NALIN KUMAR KATEEL, BHAGWANTH KHUBA, DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH, VIRENDRA  KUMAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3904 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2017

## VACANT LAND

†3904.      SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA: SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL: SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA: SHRI D.K. SURESH: DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the total land owned by the Railways across the country as on date and the total surplus land out of it available with the Railways, zone-wise;
- (b) whether the Railways has formulated/proposes to formulate any scheme for the proper utilisation of vacant surplus land;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Railways  have  been  able  to  increase  its  revenue from the vacant land by leasing it out for commercial development, etc.; and
- (e)        if  so,  the  details  thereof  during  the  last  three  years  and  the current year, year-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

ANSWER (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  3904  BY  SHRI  RAM  CHARAN  BOHRA, SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL, SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA, SHRI D.K. SURESH  AND  DR.  VIRENDRA  KUMAR  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK SABHA ON 09.08.2017 REGARDING VACANT LAND

(a)  to  (e):    As  on  31.03.2017,  Indian  Railways  have  about  51165 hectares  of  vacant  land  (not  surplus)  out  of  total  land  of  472155 hectares,  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. The details

of  total  railway  land  and  vacant  railway  land  zone-wise  as  on 31.03.2017 are given below;

## (Figures in hectares)

| Zonal Railway      |   Total Land |   Vacant Land |
|--------------------|--------------|---------------|
| Central            |      29341.2 |       2293.77 |
| Eastern            |      20950.3 |       2172.8  |
| East Central       |      37238.3 |       4148.06 |
| East Coast         |      23059.3 |       3138.03 |
| Northern           |      43195   |      11612.4  |
| North Central      |      18836.5 |        740.02 |
| North Eastern      |      25703.8 |       5564.67 |
| Northeast Frontier |      45451.4 |       1406.82 |
| North Western      |      24515.1 |       1277.35 |
| Southern           |      26882.1 |       2725.7  |
| South Central      |      32440   |       1284.49 |
| South Eastern      |      42589.4 |        703.16 |
| South East Central |      22146.3 |       3159.48 |
| South Western      |      18470.1 |       4431.98 |
| Western            |      37876.8 |       5889.07 |
| West Central       |      23459.7 |        617.39 |
| Total              |     472155   |      51165.2  |

The  revenue  from  the  leasing/licensing  of  Railway  land  for various  usages  and  commercial  purposes  has  been  on  continuous increase.  The  details  of  revenue  earned  during  the  last  three  years and the current year (up to June, 2017) are given below:

| Year                       |   Revenue ( ` in Crores) |
|----------------------------|--------------------------|
| 2014-15                    |                     1313 |
| 2015-16                    |                     1682 |
| 2016-17                    |                     2079 |
| 2017-18 (up to June, 2017) |                      266 |

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