Lok Sabha Question No. 1985 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-03
Subject: Proper Utilisation of Vacant Land
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria, Ramcharan Bohra, Gopal Chinayya Shetty

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1985 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.07.2019

## PROPER UTILISATION OF VACANT LAND

- †1985. SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNAPURIA: SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA: SHRI GOPAL CHINNAYA SHETTY: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
- (a) whether major chunk of railway land is lying vacant in different zones of  railway  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State  and  Zonewise;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  land  is  lying  vacant  in Sawai Madhopur and if so, the facts thereof;
- (c) whether the Railways has any plan to provide vacant land to the poor on lease and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether there is  any  plan  to  set  up  hospitals,  schools  or  other training centres on vacant land of Railways; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the monitoring mechanism chalked out to protect such vacant land from encroachment as well as for its proper development and use ?

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

ANSWER (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (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. 1985 BY SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNAPURIA, SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA AND SHRI GOPAL CHINNAYA SHETTY TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 03.07.2019 REGARDING PROPER UTILISATION OF VACANT LAND.

(a):    As on 31.03.2018, Indian Railways has about 0.51 lakh hectare (approximately) of vacant land. The Railways do not maintain Statewise details of vacant Railway land. However, zone-wise details/data are maintained by Railways and the same are as under:-

(Figures in hectares)

| Zonal Railway      |   Vacant Land |
|--------------------|---------------|
| Central            |       2022.03 |
| Eastern            |       2110.49 |
| East Central       |       4094.75 |
| East Coast         |       3011.28 |
| Northern           |      11438.7  |
| North Central      |        735.11 |
| North Eastern      |       5564.67 |
| Northeast Frontier |       1410.45 |
| North Western      |       1277.35 |
| Southern           |       2741.44 |
| South Central      |       1276.58 |
| South Eastern      |        464.76 |
| South East Central |       3142.72 |
| South Western      |       4662.15 |
| Western            |       6258.54 |
| West Central       |        617.45 |
| Total              |      50828.5  |

(b): Yes, Sir. In Sawai Madhopur an area of 8.34 Ha of Railway land is lying vacant.

(c):          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. Railway has no plan to provide vacant land to the poor on lease.

(d):     Railways provide hospitals, schools or other training centres on vacant land as per the requirement for its employees and their family members.

(e):    Railways take regular measures to protect vacant Railway land from encroachment which includes provision of boundary wall, fencing, tree plantation at vulnerable locations and licensing of land to Railway employees for Grow More Food (GMF) scheme.

Further,  in  order  to  safeguard  vacant  Railway  land,  regular inspections are carried out at various levels.  In case any trespass is noticed which may eventually lead to encroachment, it is removed then

and there. If the encroachments are of temporary nature (soft encroachment)  in  the  shape  of  jhuggies,  jhopries  and  squatters,  the same  are  got  removed  in  consultation  and  with  the  assistance  of Railway Protection Force and local civil authorities. For old encroachments, where party is not amenable to persuasion, 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.

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