Encroachments Spread On Railway Land, Law And Order Issue

Encroachments spread on railway land like this, law and order issue is connected with states. It is not that the Railways have not adopted new technology and changes to protect the tracks. Safety is better than before, but settlements and other encroachments around the tracks are spreading so fast that neither the train nor the passengers traveling in it are safe.

Actually, in 2008, the Land Development Authority was created for the protection and development of railway land. From here, the encroachment in railway land spread. The dispute is not between the railways and the encroachers but between the railways and the state government. The state government gave land for expansion to the railways and the army.

The army took steps to protect the land, but the railways did not. Gradually, the encroached on crores of vacant land of the railways. Things became so bad that the efforts made by the Railways to remove them proved to be weak under pressure from the state government, district administration, and politicians.

In 2014-15, a law came that the Railways could use its additional land commercially, but the matter got stuck with the state governments. State governments say that if the Railways have additional land, they should give it to the state government, they will develop it.

A case in the Supreme Court between the Railway Zone and several state governments is also under consideration. Railways do not have enough power to remove the encroachment, as the railways are not able to resolve the cases related to law and order, due to which the biggest encroachment is on the railway land.

The reason for the ongoing dispute between the railways and the state government over land is that now the state governments do not give land for the expansion of the railway project. Another aspect is that the railways build base kitchens, washing laundries, plants, and colonies on their land.

Railways can only use this land to improve passenger comfort and not its commercial use. She cannot give this land for commercial use to people living near stations or railway tracks. This becomes the reason for a dispute over land. Because of which there is no coordination between the state government and the Railways.

However, the Railways is now making policy regarding this so that Railways can increase their income by using the land commercially. Railways will have to show a strong will.