Lok Sabha Question No. 1808 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-27
Subject: Illegal Occupation of Land
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: DHARMENDRA YADAV, CHANDRAKANT BHAURAO KHAIRE, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV, RANGASWAMY DHRUVANARAYANA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1808

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2016

## ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF LAND

† 1808.      SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

SHRI CHANDRAKANT KHAIRE:

SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:

SHRI R. DHRUVA NARAYAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  total  area  of  vacant  land  of  Railways  under  encroachment  at present;
- (b) whether the Railways has prepared any plan for removal of encroachment and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the vacant land is required for servicing and maintenance of track and other infrastructure projects and if so, the number of projects that are pending due to such encroachment;
- (d)  whether  any  responsibility  has  been  fixed  for  encroachment  of Railways vacant land and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the stringent action taken/proposed to be taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

(a) to (e) : As on 31.03.2016, out of 4.73 lakh hectare land available with Indian  Railways,  approximately  879.51  hectare  (0.18%)  land  is  under encroachment and about 0.52 lakh hectares of land is vacant. The vacant land  is  mostly  in  the  form  of  narrow  strips  along  the  tracks,  which  is required for servicing and maintenance of track, bridges and other railway infrastructure.  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.

As  regards  the  number  of  projects  pending  due  to  encroachment, information is being collected and will be laid on the Table of the House.

Most of the encroachments are in the approaches of the Stations in Metros  and  big  cities.  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.  Removal  of  encroachment  is  a  continuous process, as a result of which, in last three years and current year (up to June  2016)  94.28  hectares  of  encroached  land  has  been  retrieved.  As there  is  continuous  reduction  in  encroachment  for  past  many  years,  no responsibility  has  been  fixed  in  recent  past.  However,  it  has  now  been decided to fix the responsibility on officials for any new encroachments. Railways  have also taken measures  to  protect Railway land from encroachment which include licensing of land to Railway employees for Grow More Food(GMF) scheme, provision of boundary wall, fencing, tree plantation at vulnerable locations.

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