Page 33 - English Tehelka Issue 12 - June 30, 2018

RAILWAYS

ndia has a massive • Caught on wrong foot: About
network of railway lines, 930.75 hectares of railway land is
extending thousands of under encroachment
kilometres and reaching
I every nook and corner
of India. With such enormity, plans that are available, 81.41
it is always a challenging task per cent have been digitised.
to manage such mammoth However, no land plan has
network and ensure seamless been digitised in Kolkata
operations. Metro Railway. Shortfall of
The Indian Railways owns digitisation of 19.59 per cent
4,58,588.16 hectares of land, land plans indicates Railways’
out of which, a significant failure to prioritise the issue
47,339.5 hectares (10.33 per even after a clear deadline
cent) land remains unused. IndIan RaIlways yet to given by the Railway Board.
Around 46,408.75 hectares Out of 42,182 land plans,
(10.2 per cent) land is vacant CleaR enCRoaChed lands 41,467 land plans have been
and 930.75 hectares (0.21 per authenticated and uploaded.
cent) are under encroach- About 4,462 land plans are
ment. Currently, 37,235 evic- Lack of coordination between the states and Cen- yet to be authenticated, for
BJP. It is true that in many states, Con- The BJP has really years of ineffective rule and broken tion orders by estate officers tre has delayed the process of resolving encroach- which Railways are making
gress is not a significant player, but promises, Modi and the BJP are no are pending for execution ment cases affecting the smooth functioning of the efforts.
Congress Party has a substantial pres- ill-treated its longer as popular as they were in the under the Public Premises With setting up of Railway
ence in more states than any other principal ally last election. As the opposition unity (Eviction of Unauthorised Indian railways, writes MY Siddiqui Land Development Authority
single opposition party and in many now appears to be a reality, BJP’s de- Occupants) Act, 1971, (PPE Act). in 2005, Railways admin-
states, there is no third Party. Shiv Sena just as feat is a foregone conclusion. However, a review by CAG old and fresh encroachments Raising its concern, the istration was buoyed that

Rahul is speaking of’ ‘resurgent it has ill-treated Is the same applied to the NCP and (Comptroller and Auditor cannot be ensured. CAG has stated that area un- unutilised surplus land will
der 7,775 encroachments was
There is non-seriousness
be exploited for commercial
General) reveals non-serious
Congress’, what would be your role the TDP, the Akali the Congress? pursuance of encroachment in the government at all level not available with the Zonal use in Public-Private Partner-
in such ‘pro-active’ Congress? NCP pulled down my government cases under the PPE Act. as there are big money and Railways. It said non-availa- ship mode on 50-50 profit
Rahul Gandhi has now taken over Dal and the Biju in Maharashtra, just before the 2014 The Ministry of Railways massive corruption in land bility of records of encroach- sharing basis, which is stuck
as the Congress President. There is Janata Dal Assembly election. And we paid a and other land owning management. Presently, land ments is a matter of concern, as the states are not belling
a renewed confidence in the Party, price. If we had continued our alli- ministries of the Union of railways under encroach- that railway administration the cat. States want money, so
particularly after the Gujarat and ance, together we could certainly Government like Defence, ment is 861.70 hectares (0.18 does not possess the required whatever they have earned
the Karnataka elections and the series have won the election. It can be seen Urban Development, Ship- per cent of total land). Out of data and valuable evidence from commercial exploita-
of defeats of the BJP in the series of Janata Dal. Shiv Sena is really cut- from the vote percentages. NCP and ping, Transport & Highways, this, 152.4 hectares of land has to defend its claim before tion in particular state should
Lok Sabha by-elections in all the seats up with the Prime Minister and the Congress together had a vote share of Home Affairs, etc. are blaming been encroached in six big the adjudicating authorities/ be funnelled in the develop-
held by BJP. People’s anger against Chief Minister. Shiv Sena continues 35.2 per cent as against the BJP vote Ministry of Urban Develop- cities--Delhi, Hyderabad-Se- courts. According to the Audit, ment of railways in that state,
the BJP is palpable. We will see that to be in the government, however, it share of 27.8 per cent. We have learnt ment, which administers cundrabad, Chennai, Mum- Railways require 3,455-kilo- whereas, Union Government
the BJP does not win the 2019 elec- has clearly indicated that it will not our lesson. We will surely form a pre- policy for land management bai, Bangaluru and Kolkata, metre boundary wall costing is insisting that such money
tion. We are determined to see that fight the Lok Sabha election with the poll alliance and defeat the BJP in in the government for not where 363 court cases for about 2,796 crore to protect has to come to the kitty of
BJP is defeated in Maharashtra. What- BJP. They will fight independently. Of Maharashtra. amending the PPE Act to settlement/eviction of 81,414 railway land by constructing the Centre for use across the
ever use the Party wants to make course, the BJP has now become des- make states responsible for encroachments are pend- boundary wall at vulnerable country. As a result, there
of people like us, we are prepared to perate to get back all the allies — Shiv Is the Congress President wily eviction. Landowning minis- ing. Added to this, railways locations, which is not work- has been little progress in
serve the Party with the sole objec- Sena and the TDP and even smaller enough to outmanoeuvre BJP’s tries have been pursuing with have, so far, not categorised able in the current resource the commercial exploita-
tive of taking the Congress ideology to parties like Raju Shetty’s party. Also, Amit Shah? Urban Development Ministry its land under land grabbing, crunch that the Railways are tion of unused surplus of
preeminence. the BJP will use all means at its dis- After taking over as the Congress for several years. Successive land under court cases, land facing. In the circumstances, railway land. In the process,
posal to make sure that the opposi- President, Rahul Gandhi has demon- governments have not taken under unauthorised occupa- Public Accounts Committee additional revenues utilised
How do you see the love-hate tion parties do not come together. strated his leadership skills. The latest any fruitful action resulting in tion of slum dwellers, land (PAC) has suggested to hire an through commercial exploita-
relationship between the BJP and Let us not forget that in May 2014 Lok example is being the deft handling of eviction orders to stuck with under armed forces for its independent agency or set up tion of unutilised surplus land
Shiv Sena? Sabha election, BJP polled only 31 per the Karnataka situation. The Modi and no progress. Without the in- proper use and so on despite one such agency on manage- that can take care of all-round
The BJP and the Chief Minister of cent votes and its allies with 8 per cent Shah duo have used up all their tricks. volvement of states, eviction Railway Land Development ment of railway land. expansion and modernisa-
Maharashtra have really ill-treated votes making it a total of 39 per cent They cannot fool all the people all of encroachments, unauthor- Authority been set up in 2005. The Audit has also ob- tion of railways, has come a
its principal ally, Shiv Sena, just as votes. That means 61 per cent voters the time. ised occupants, destruction/ Encroachment of Railways served the authentication and cropper!
the Prime Minister has ill-treated voted to defeat Narendra Modi, but removal of unauthorised con- land has been continuing digitisation of land records.
the TDP, the Akali Dal and the Biju their votes were divided. After four letters@tehelka.com struction, removal of existing, since 1950. So far, out of 53,898 land letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 30 june 2018 32 www.Tehelka.com Tehelka / 30 june 2018 33 www.Tehelka.com

30-32 Q&A Manmahan.indd 4 16/06/18 12:18 PM 33 M Y Siddiqui.indd 3 16/06/18 12:19 PM