Question : RAILWAY LAND

(a) the total area of land under railway network and the area of land which remains unutilized as on date;

(b) whether the Railways propose to allow their land for various metro networks in the country in exchange of land with State Governments and other agencies and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Railways have received any proposals in this regard and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Railways also propose to allow educational facilities on their land; and

(e) if so, the details and the present status thereof ?

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE)

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

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 270 BY DR. P. VENUGOPAL TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 29.08.2013 REGARDING RAILWAY LAND.

(a) & (b): The total area of land under Railway network is 11.25 lakh acre out of which 10.15 lakh acre is under operational and allied use and 1.10 lakh acre land is vacant. The vacant land is mostly in the form of a narrow strips along track and is also essential for servicing and maintenance of track and other infrastructure. Permission is granted for use of Railway land for Metro Railway Networks wherever required in public interest, in terms of the guidelines framed by the Ministry of Railways.

(c): At present, no such proposal is pending in Railways.

(d) & (e): Ministry of Railways have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ministry of Human Resource Development wherein it has been agreed upon that Railway Land which is not operationally required can be utilised for development of educational facilities for wards of railway employees as also common citizens in the vicinity through collaboration between the parties Pursuant thereto, seven new Civil Sector Kendriya Vidyalayas have since been sanctioned for the Railways by Ministry of Human Resource Development namely at Carriage Repair Workshop, Harnut(Bihar), Cast Wheel Plant, Bela (Bihar), Railway Campus, Nanded (Maharsashtra), Railway Campus, Rangiya(Assam), Freeland Ganj Railway colony, Dahod(Gujarat), Krishnarajapuram Diesel Loco Shed Colony, Bangalore(Karnataka), Shakurbasti, West Punjabi Bagh (Delhi). These schools have since become operational.