OREANDA-NEWS. April 26, 2012. The performance Audit of Land Management in Indian Railways has stressed the need for strengthening of Land Management Organization, proper maintenance of land records/registers, prevention of encroachments on Railway land, expediting of the land acquisition for projects, utilization of vacant land for commercial development to augment Railway revenues etc.

 Railways have undertaken a number of measures to address the above issues. Railways are engaged in a continuous exercise to protect its land from encroachments by way of construction of boundary wall, plantation and provision of fencing at vulnerable location in a programmed manner. Instructions have been issued to Zonal Railways to have close coordination with State Government on the above issues raised by Audit.

 In order to expedite the process of land acquisition for Railway projects, the Railways (Amendment) Act, 2008 has been enacted, which provides for expeditious acquisition of land for Railway projects. In order to augment Railway revenue, Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has been formed under the Railways (Amendment) Act, 2005. RLDA, formed in 2007, has started generating additional revenues. The process of digitization of land records has also been stated by Indian Railways.