Lok Sabha Question No. 95 (STARRED), answered on 2016-03-02
Subject: Encroachment of Railway Land
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: SONA RAM CHOUDHARY, SULTAN  AHMED

† * 95.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 95 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.03.2016

## ENCROACHMENT OF RAILWAY LAND

COL. SONARAM CHOUDHARY:

SHRI SULTAN AHMED:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has formulated any action plan to remove encroachments from the railway land across the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  number  of  times  the  demolition  drive  was  conducted  by  the Railways under its various zones during 2014 and 2015 and the land in hectares, freed from the encroachers, zone-wise;
- (c) the total area of land still under possession of encroachers and the steps being taken to free it; and
- (d) whether action being taken by the Railways to construct boundary walls at railway stations located  in densely populated areas in order to  check  encroachment  and  for  proper  maintenance  of  stations  on priority basis and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU)

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

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  95  BY  COL.  SONARAM  CHOUDHARY  AND SHRI SULTAN  AHMED  TO  BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 02.03.2016 REGARDING ENCROACHMENT OF RAILWAY LAND

(a) to (d):   As on 31.03.2015, out of 4.61 lakh hectare land available with Indian Railways, only approximately 914.80 hectare (0.19%) land is under encroachment. For these encroachments, Railways carry out regular surveys and take action for their removal. If the encroachments are of a 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. The removal of encroachments by launching demolition drive is a continuous process, as a result of which in the last three years and current  year  (up  to  January  2016),  106  hectares  of  encroached  land has  been  retrieved.    During  2014  and  2015,  1261  demolition  drives were conducted             by  the  Zonal  Railways to get  Railway land freed from encroachments.

……2/-

The details of encroachment and the land retrieved from encroachments in the last two years are as under:

(Figures in Hectares)

| Zonal Railway      |   Land under encroachment as on 31.03.2015 |   Land retrieved during the year 2014-15 |   Land retrieved during the year 2015-16 (upto January 2016) |
|--------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Central            |                                      60    |                                     0.15 |                                                        0.69  |
| Eastern            |                                      21    |                                     0.46 |                                                        0.29  |
| East Central       |                                       3    |                                     0.46 |                                                        0.56  |
| East Coast         |                                      17    |                                     2.76 |                                                        1.68  |
| Northern           |                                     209.19 |                                     1.02 |                                                        2.68  |
| North Central      |                                      41.17 |                                     0.01 |                                                        0.19  |
| North Eastern      |                                      25.63 |                                     0.06 |                                                        0     |
| Northeast Frontier |                                     126    |                                    21.32 |                                                       18     |
| North Western      |                                      19    |                                     0    |                                                        0     |
| Southern           |                                      60.51 |                                     1.1  |                                                        0.01  |
| South Central      |                                      18.77 |                                     0    |                                                        0.7   |
| South Eastern      |                                     158.1  |                                     0.78 |                                                        1     |
| Southeast Central  |                                      55.45 |                                     0.03 |                                                        6.28  |
| South Western      |                                      16.26 |                                     0    |                                                        0.005 |
| Western            |                                      41.44 |                                     0    |                                                        0     |
| West Central       |                                      36.78 |                                     0.24 |                                                        0     |
| Production Units   |                                       5.74 |                                     0    |                                                        0     |
| Total              |                                     914.8  |                                    28.39 |                                                       32.085 |

Besides demolition, regular measures are taken to protect Railway land from encroachment which includes licensing of land to Railway employees for Grow More Food (GMF) scheme, provision of boundary wall, fencing, tree plantation at vulnerable locations.

During last three years (2012-2015), 352 kilometer boundary walls have been  constructed  to  check  encroachment  around  vulnerable  locations like densely populated areas around Railway stations.

***