RLDA - Rail Land Development Authority

RLDA - Rail Land Development Authority

• Source: RLDA Website

• RLDA - Rail Land Development Authority 

 

• Setup in the year 2006 as a Statutory Authority under the Ministry of Railways set up by an Amendment to the Railways Act, 1989. 

• Vision::  To emerge as India's leading Public Land Development Authority.  

 

• Mission: Development of Land/Air Space entrusted to the Authority on sound commercial principles for generation of non-tariff revenue and creation of assets for Indian Railways.

• Object behind the set up of RLDA

1. The need for considerable increase in internal generation of resources for such investment had been realized by the Indian Railways for some time. 

 

2. Indian Railways is the biggest landlord in India having nearly 10.65 Lakh acres across all over the country. 

3. Indian Railways (IR) has approximately 43,000 hectares of vacant land. Land which is not required for operational purposes in the foreseeable future would be identified by the zonal railways and the details thereof would be advised to the Railway Board.

4. Generation of Non-tariff revenue by development of 43,000 hectares of vacant land for commercial purposes 

5.   Creation of Infrastructure assets for Indian Railways.

 

• Member, Infrastructure, Railway Board is the Ex-officio Chairman of the RLDA. 

 

•  RLDA’s expenses are met out of grants provided by Indian Railways. The entire earnings generated from development of railway land is transferred by RLDA to Indian Railways.

• Total Assets of RLDA as on 31st March 2024 - Rs. 2,045 Crores 

• Excess of Income over Expenditure as on 31st March 2024 - Rs. 43 Crore

• There is a scope of big jump in the earnings of RLDA, since many sites and MFC's will be come into function.

• Authorisation of vacant land to RLDA - stages 

1.  Land which is not required for operational purposes in the foreseeable future - identified by the Zonal Railways.

2.   Once identified, the details of such vacant land would be advised to Rly. Board.

3.  Such plots of land would thereafter be entrusted to RLDA by the Railway Board in phases for commercial Development. 

       

• Commercial development of vacant railway land  -  steps:

1.   Inspection of the sites to ensure that these are free from any encumbrances/encroachments and are prima-facie suitable for commercial development.

2. Survey done for each individual plot of land by engaging a reputed real estate consultant to identify the possibility of commercial development.

3.  Once identified potential revenue from such site, call for an EOI - Expression of Interest or RFP - Request For Proposal from Developers for commercial development through the PPP route ( Public Private Partnership)

4. Awarded the site to the Developer through the Open Bidding process.

• .  Identified 138 sites so far and they are at different stages for development as 

         Commercial places. 

• M F C - MULTI FUNCTIONAL COMPLEX: 

• Apart from development of vacant Railway land on commercial lines, Railways planned to utilize AIR SPACE over Railway Assets such as Railway Stations for generation of Non-tariff Revenue.

 

• MFC's will provide facilities like Shopping, Food stalls/Restaurants, Book stalls, PCO Booths, ATMs, Budget Hotels, Parking spaces etc at Railway stations. 

 

• MFC's will given to PSUs i.e., RVNL, IRCON , RITES (through MOU - Memorandum Of Understanding) and to Private players (through Open bidding process)  - Lease basis on upfront lease premium or Revenue sharing for a period of 30 to 45 years.

•  After the lease period, MFCs would be transferred to the railways. Thus a good opportunity for Railways in regard to creation of infrastructure assets.

• So far sanctioned 163 MFCs, redevelopment of 5 Railway Stations and 14 Railway Colonies.

•  Real estate consultants like Knight Frank and JLL are advising RLDA in planning and marketing the MFCs sites. 

• Several leading brands, retail, hotel chains and developers have expressed their interest in MFCs being developed by RLDA and prominent among them are Pantaloon, Cafe Coffee Day, The Loot, Woodland, Apodis Hospitality, Krishna Palace Residency, WH Smith (Travel News Services).

• MFCs at 26 railway stations developed jointly with IRCON ISL (Infrastructure & Services Ltd)  and RITES have already been completed and are waiting for being leased out, prominent places being Haridwar, Udaipur,Raipur, Madurai, Allahabad, Jabalpur, Burdwan, Manmad, Guntur.

• RLDA has prepared a plan for fast-tracking the development of 75 complexes. 

Development of Railway Stations

•  RLDA has also been entrusted by the Ministry of Railways for development of five railway stations at Chandigarh, Anand Vihar (Delhi), Bijwasan (Delhi), Habibganj (Bhopal) and Shivajinagar (Pune) into modern railway stations with excellent facilities for rail users.  

• These stations are being developed through IRSDC - Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Ltd., a joint venture company created by IRCON and RLDA in which the former is the majority partner.

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