Railway Ministry discusses station development model agreement with stakeholders

To finalise the model Concession Agreement for the development of Railway stations through the Public-private partnership (PPP) model, the Ministry of Indian Railways (RLDA) along with the Indian Railways Station Development Corporation Limited, on Wednesday, held a consultation meeting with all the stakeholders. 

As per a statement released by the RLDA, the online webinar held on September 6, 2021, Monday, drew a large response, with over 140 people attending. The webinar was part of the Railway Ministry's efforts to simplify the Model Concession Agreement, which was led by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

6 lakh crore worth National Monetisation Pipeline launched by FM Sitharaman includes the redevelopment of 400 stations

"National Monetization Pipeline of Rs 6,00,000 crores announced by the Government of India includes 400 stations where an investment of Rs 76000 crores is envisaged. 40 stations are targeted to be taken up in 2021-22 and another 120 stations in 2022-23. To make the program a success, the concerns of various stakeholders need to be addressed. To have a smooth implementation of this ambitious program, the Ministry of Railways has shared the draft MCA and held this webinar for active participation of the stakeholders in the process," said Ved Parkash Dudeja, Vice Chairman, RLDA.

Vice-Chairman Dudeja made the statement, with reference to the ambitious Rs 6 lakh crore National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) unveiled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on August 23. The plan included unlocking value by involving private companies across infrastructure sectors- from passenger trains and railway stations to airports, roads and stadiums.

The webinar was addressed by OP Singh, Additional Member, Land and Amenities, Railway Board; Ved Parkash Dudeja, Vice Chairman, RLDA and SK Lohia, MD and CEO, IRSDC. Earlier, on August 27, 2021, the proposed MCA was posted on the Ministry of Railways' website, and responses from stakeholders were requested. The majority of stakeholders praised the proposed MCA and the Ministry of Railways' procedure for incorporating industry input.

RLDA's ongoing redevelopment projects

Meanwhile, The Railway Ministry has now entrusted the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) to redevelop additional 49 railway stations across the country. Currently, around 125 stations are undergoing redevelopment, out of which 60 projects are being handled by the RLDA as part of the Smart Cities project of the Government of India. Now, the RLDA has been handed a mandate to mount up 49 new stations to their development roster. The list includes railway stations in Amravati, Rajkot, Mathura, Agra Fort, Bikaner, Kurukshetra, and Bhopal among others.   

The development authority, which is a statutory authority under the Ministry of Railways for the development of Railway land, is now working on 109 railway stations in a phased manner. 

(With ANI Inputs)
(Image: PTI)