By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JULY 31, 2016: WHILE replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, the Minister of State for Railways, Mr Rajen Gohain, said that as on 31.03.2016, out of 473052 hectares of land available with Indian Railways, about 52401 hectares of land is vacant.

As on 31.03.2016, approximately 879.51 hectares of land (0.18%) is under encroachment illegally by various segments of society which also include unscrupulous elements. For these encroachments, Railways carries 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 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.

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 and tree plantations at vulnerable locations.