Representative Image | Photo: Latheesh Poovathur/ Mathrubhumi
Kannur: Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) leased out 7.19 acres of land belonging to Kannur railway station. Lands of other 47 railway stations across the country were also leased out. The lease agreements were issued for 45 to 99 years. At least 8.60 acre land in Bengaluru has been chartered for 60 years while 6.24 acres of railway land in Chennai Egmore has been leased out for 45 years.
Texworth International has secured the tender for land in five railway stations, including Kannur railway station. Shopping complexes and malls will be constructed in these pieces of land. Besides commercial buildings, quarters for the railway employees will also be constructed here.
The railway land in Kannur has been hired out for Rs 24.63 crore. Nearly 4.93 acres of land in western side of the station will be utilised for constructing commercial buildings while the remaining 2.26 acres in the eastern side will be used to set up a railway colony.
As many as 41 companies have obtained tenders at 48 railway stations in the country.
Request of Central Warehousing Corporation remains unattended
The Central Warehousing Corporation had requested the railways to utilise the railway land to establish its storage facilities. Though plots in Kanchikode, Shornur, Kumbala, Edakkad and Kannur South stations under Palakkad division were considered for this, no progress has been achieved in this project. Currently, Food Corporation of India owns storage facilities at the majority of the railway stations.
43,000 hectares vacant land
RLDA declared that nearly 43,000 hectares of land under Indian Railways remain vacant. The authority hinted that these lands are currently unnecessary for the operations of railways.
Railways aim to obtain considerable income by leasing out these unutilised land.