NEW DELHI: Railways and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently said that the Railways will offer its surplus land to State Governments at fair market value for setting up industries for faster economic development.
 
The decision was taken as part of the Government’s efforts to boost domestic manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ programme, Goyal said here at a conference organized by the Commerce Ministry and the Confederation of Indian Industry where he released the recommendations of a 12-member expert panel on trade led by economist Surjit Bhalla. The panel was set up by the Ministry.
 
Goyal said he had held meetings with Central and State officials exploring ways of boosting manufacturing activities and exports, which is key to doubling the size of the domestic economy to $5 trillion over the next few years.
 
For this, he said, an accelerated programme was needed. “We have got many suggestions. One of the suggestions I have accepted is the use of public sector land for industrial activity and industrial growth. Railways has huge plots of surplus land which we are willing to offer to the Governments at a fair market value so that it can help in faster economic development in various States," the Minister.

Source: dst.news