Improving efficiency: New railways land policy

Increasing railway land usage will boost activity

The Union Cabinet’s decision to revise the railway land policy is well-intended. One of the ways to improve economic outcomes is to use the available resources more efficiently. It has been argued for long that the Indian Railways holds excess land all across the country, which can be monetised to not only increase revenue for the national transporter, but also push up overall economic activity. The government’s decision is intended to rapidly move in this direction. For cargo-related activities, for instance, the land will be given for up to 35 years at 1.5 per cent of the market value per