(a) whether serious operational and other problems are cropping up as a result of encroachment of railway land particularly in Northern Railway and various parts of Jammu and Kashmir;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto; and
(c) the measures adopted by the Government to remove these encroachments?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)
(a) to (c): As on 31.03.2016, 206.37 hectares of land is under encroachment in Northern Railway including Jammu & Kashmir. Most of the encroachments on Railway land are in the approaches of stations in Metros and big cities in the form of slums. At certain locations, these encroachments cause bottlenecks and safety hazard in train operations and difficulties in maintenance which at times affect the line capacity and the throughput which ultimately affects the revenue of Railways.
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.