The government has made it simpler and cheaper for various entities to set up a range of infrastructure on Railway land on long-term lease. These including cargo-related enterprises, public utilities, renewable energy projects and even schools.
Railway land can now be used to set up solar plants, sewage and water treatment facilities at Re 1 per square meter per annum for 35 years and hospitals through PPP and schools with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for Re 1 per square meter per annum for up to 60 years.
The Union Cabinet Wednesday, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the new land lease policy of Railways, which owns around 4.84 lakh hectares in India of which 0.62 lakh hectare is vacant. This includes land that runs parallel to tracks.
