Title - Rlys upset with excessive curbs on land lease

New Delhi : The Railways is hoping that the government will relax rules for leasing lands in its hold for building Multi-Functional Complexes (MFCs), which would generate additional revenue.According to a railway official, a cabinet note is being processed for the purpose.The rule stipulating prior cabinet approval for leasing railway lands –as a way of preventing any irregularities in the process—which was introduced last year, has seriously affected building MFCs, the official said.The railways have identified 198 stations for Multi-Functional Complexes and construction at 24 stations has already been completed. MFCs at 35 stations are targeted for completion during the 2012-13 financial year. Out of 24 completed MFCs, 12 have been constructed by IRCON, 6 by RITES and 6 by zonal railways.IRCON has constructed MFCs at important tourist places like Hyderabad, Mysore, Digha, Rajgir and  Tiruvalla. The zonal railways have completed MFCs at religious places like Shirdi, Anandpur Sahib, Parasnath and Tarakeswar.The MFCs have considerably improved facilities for the passengers in important tourist destinations.  Built with private investments, the buildings have enabled facilities like shops, eating joints, book stalls, ATMs, medical stores, budget hotels, parking lots etc.RLDA, a statutory authority established by the Railway Ministry for generating non-tariff revenue from railway land, is looking after the development of MFCs.  In recent times, creating non-conventional revenue sources from the lands it owns has been the cornerstone of railway strategy.