Transparent Tender System Revives RLDA; AI Helps Curb Encroachments: Vaishnaw

New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday highlighted the government’s efforts to ensure transparency in railway land development. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, he said that the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA), established years ago, had largely stalled during the UPA government due to opaque processes.

However, in recent years, the government has introduced a fully transparent, tender-based system for utilizing railway land for commercial and residential projects.

“We have been able to create a very transparent mechanism over the past few years. The Railway Land Development Authority was set up long ago, but during the UPA government, certain steps were taken that were not very transparent. As a result, the work had nearly come to a halt. Now, through a credible tender-based system, land is being utilized transparently for commercial and housing development,” Vaishnaw stated.

The minister also emphasized the use of advanced technology to tackle encroachments on railway land. He explained that updated maps are created using satellite imagery and drone-based surveys, which are then compared with reference maps of the entire railway network.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced algorithms, authorities can detect new encroachments and take swift action. While there has been a significant reduction in new encroachments, Vaishnaw noted that long-standing encroachments—some dating back decades—continue to pose a major challenge.

“We are using two key technologies—satellite imaging and drone-based surveys. These generate updated maps, which are compared with our reference maps across the network. Based on this, AI and algorithms help us identify any new encroachments, allowing immediate action. New encroachments have reduced significantly, but the main issue remains with those that have existed for decades,” he added.