Lok Sabha Question No. 4722 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-24
Subject: Encroachment on Unused Land
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Gowdar Mallikarjunappa Siddeshwara

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4722 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2021

## ENCROACHMENT ON UNUSED LAND

## 4722.   SHRI G.M. SIDDESHWAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the total land/area owned by Railways across the country; (b) the  total  land/area  being  utilised  out  of  it  and  the  manner  in which remaining land/area is lying unutilised; (c) the market price of the land/area owned by Railways; (d) the total land/area of Railways under illegal occupation; and the  steps  taken  to  set  Railways  land/area  free  from  illegal
- (e) possession?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMERCE & INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(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. 4722 BY SHRI G. M. SIDDESHWAR TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 24.03.2021 REGARDING ENCROACHMENT ON UNUSED LAND

(a)  and (b):  As  on  31.03.2020, the total land in possession of Indian Railways is about 4.81 lakh hectares, out of which, 4.30 lakh hectare is  used  for  commercial  licensing,  Track  and  structures  including stations, colonies, Afforestation and other uses like pisciculture etc. and only 0.51 lakh hectare is vacant.  The vacant land is mostly in the form  of  narrow  strips  along  tracks  and  is  utilized  for  servicing  and maintenance of track, bridges, other infrastructure and execution of various  infrastructural  projects  for  meeting  future  growth  needs  of Railways.  The  vacant  land  is  also  utilized  for  ancillary  logistic support/infrastructure  such  as  bulk  oil  installations  and  oil  depots, steel yards, concrete sleeper plants, connectivity to private sidings, connectivity  to  ports  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, to mobilize additional financial resources.

(c): Monetary value of land is not assessed by Railways.

(d):   As on 31.03.2020, approximately 814.55 hectare land is under encroachment.

(e): Railways  is  actively  involved  in  removal  of  encroachment  from Railway land for which it carries out regular surveys of encroachment

and  takes  action  for  their  removal.  If  the  encroachments  are  of temporary  nature  (soft  encroachments)  in  the  shape  of  jhuggies, jhopris and squatters, the same are removed in consultation with and assistance of Railway Protection Force and local civil authorities.  For other encroachments, action is taken under Public Premises (Eviction of  Unauthorized  Occupants)  Act,  1971  (PPE  Act,  1971),  as  amended from  time  to  time.    Actual  eviction  of  unauthorized  occupants  is carried out with the assistance of State Government and police.

Removal  of  encroachment  is  a  continuous  process.    Due  to consistent efforts of Railways, during the past three years approximately 47.15 Ha area of railway land has been retrieved.

*****