CHENNAI:One of the key areas that cash-strapped Indian Railways is trying to tap into for generation of additional revenue is commercialisation of vast areas of railway land that lie unused and under-utilised. The area adjoining Villivakkam railway station on the northern side is one such mass of ill-maintained land, which the residents of the area are attempting to bring to the notice of the officials.
The stretch just behind the unreserved ticket counter at the station is occupied by thick bushes on either sides. Residents of the area said that this was a comfortable hiding spot for tipplers, chain-snatchers and eve-teasers. “Women returning from the station in the night don’t feel safe,” said a shopkeeper opposite the station.
Mounds of household garbage and construction debris can also be seen lying strewn beside the pedestrian path that leads to the narrow road running parallel to the railway track.
Members of Kolathur-based Senthil Nagar Youth and Resident’s Welfare Assocation have sent a proposal to Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu through their Member of Parliament TG Venkatesh Babu, to clear the vegetation and develop passenger amenities or lease it to commercial establishments.
“The station caters to around 12 lakh residents living in Villivakkam, Kolathur and Padi. At least a computerised reservation counter can be set up on the vacant land. It can also be used as a bus terminus, car parking area or shopping complex. Southern Railway can earn good revenue as the area is thickly populated. This will also keep away anti-social elements and land encroachers,” said an office bearer of the association.
The association has pegged the total available unused railway land on both sides of the station, at 25 acres, worth Rs 50 crore.
According to Southern Railway officials, the Villivakkam station is frequented by 30,000 to 40,000 people everyday. The daily revenue of Villivakkam station from ticket sales is around Rs 2.5-3 lakh. In fact, Railway officials recalled that the station was being planned as a second terminal for north-bound trains in the late 80s, but the proposal was dropped later.
“There is no question of the patronage at the station; why else would there be two ticket counters on either side,” said the RWA officer-bearer. He added that they approached the Railway Minister because the Southern Railway officials were slow to respond. “We faced a similar problem when we had demanded a second ticket counter. It was then facilitated directly by the then Railway Minister of State R Velu,” the RWA office-bearer said.
Though Southern Railway currently doesn’t have a plan for the station’s redevelopment, officials said that the Railway Board had come out with a new policy wherein corporates could channel their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for renovation/improvement of amenities at railway stations. “This could be one such proposal which could be funded that way,” an official said.
The policy decision has been detailed in a circular dated September 26, 2014, where NGOs, Trusts, charitable institutions and individuals could submit a list of amenities they wished to fund along with the corresponding amount, and Railways would endeavour to provide the facility within a year of receiving the funds.