Lok Sabha Question No. 4337 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-21
Subject: Loss of Revenue due to Encroachments
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RAMCHARAN BOHARA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4337 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2018

## LOSS OF REVENUE DUE TO ENCROACHMENTS

† 4337.    SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the main features of policy governing management and use of railway land;
- (b)  the total area of encroached land got freed by the Railways during the last three years and the current year, zone-wise;
- (c) whether the Railways has assessed the loss of revenue due to encroachment of its land during the above period; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

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

(a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4337 BY SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  21.03.2018  REGARDING LOSS OF REVENUE DUE TO ENCROACHMENTS

(a) to (d):   Land is acquired for railway projects viz. new lines, doublings,  gauge  conversions,  Railway  production  units  etc., through State Government. Land which is already public property and in which no interest of private persons exist, is also taken  on  lease  or  transferred  to  the  Railways  for  execution  of Railway Projects.  As on 31.03.2017, the total land available with the  Railways  is  approximately  4.76  lakh  hectare,  out  of  which approximately 4.25 lakh hectare is under railway  track & yard, structures  &  buildings  which  include  workshops  &  production units also and under allied usages which also include afforestation.    Approximately,  0.51  lakh  hectare  land  is  vacant, and  mostly  it  is  in  the  form  of  narrow  strips  along  the  tracks, which is required for servicing and maintenance of track, bridges and other railway infrastructure and approximately 862.00 hectares (0.18%) land is under encroachment.  This 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. Railway`s  operations  also  necessarily  require  development  of ancillary logistic support/infrastructure such as bulk oil installations  &  oil  depots,  steel  yards,  concrete  sleeper  plants, coal  dumps,  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,  wherever  feasible,  in  order  to  mobilize additional financial resources. The details of land retrieved after removing  encroachments  during  the  last  three  years  (2014-15, 2015-16 & 2016-17) and the current year (up  to January  2018), zone-wise, are as under:-

| Zonal Railway      |   Land (Area in Hectares) retrieved during the last three years and the current year |
|--------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Central            |                                                                                 1.92 |
| Eastern            |                                                                                 0.76 |
| East Central       |                                                                                 1.93 |
| East Coast         |                                                                                 5.6  |
| Northern           |                                                                                 7.28 |
| North Central      |                                                                                 0.21 |
| North Eastern      |                                                                                 0.21 |
| Northeast Frontier |                                                                                48.58 |
| North Western      |                                                                                 0.51 |
| Southern           |                                                                                 1.74 |
| South Central      |                                                                                 1.79 |
| South Eastern      |                                                                                11.04 |
| Southeast Central  |                                                                                11.89 |
| South Western      |                                                                                 0    |
| Western            |                                                                                 0.12 |
| West Central       |                                                                                 2.24 |
| Production units   |                                                                                 0    |
| TOTAL              |                                                                                95.82 |

At certain locations, encroachments cause bottlenecks and safety hazards  in train operations and  difficulties in track maintenance  which  at  times  affects  the  line  capacity  and  the throughput  which  ultimately  affects  the  revenue  of  Railways which may not be feasible to assess.

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