PATNA: The railways is likely to start work on multi-functional complexes (MFCs)-cum-budget hotels on stations which have religious and tourist importance. The railways recently worked out the details to start the work. However, the civil work on the project would be taken up only from the next fiscal.
The MFCs will have shopping centres, food stalls, restaurants, book-stalls, PCOs/STD/fax booths, medicine shops, budget hotels and underground parking for vehicles, said a Railway Board official. According to him, the railways has decided to build these MFCs on public-private partnership (PPP) basis under the supervision of the Indian Railway Construction Ltd ( IRCON) and the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). About 160 places have been selected and identified for the construction of MFCs, he said, adding each MFC is likely to involve huge expenditure.
According to sources, as many as five MFCs will be built at Gaya, Hajipur, Sasaram, Islampur and Bhagalpur (in Bihar). The railways intends to complete this project within two years, the Board official said.
According to sources, the plot size for building each MFC will vary from 1,000 square metres to 3,000 square metres depending on availability of vacant land near railway station buildings. Besides, the railways has also decided to build such complex even on a plot of about 200 square meters to cater to the needs of passengers, he said.
According to sources, if everything goes well, the RLDA will invite tenders from interested investors for construction of MFCs at different places across the country. The RLDA is keen to develop these MFCs on identified railway plots. The developers will only design, finance, operate and maintain the MFCs, the sources said.
The railways has approximately 10.65 lakh acres of land across the country of which about 90 per cent of the land has been under railways’ operational use. However, the railways has about 1.13 lakh acres of vacant land which can be used for commercial purposes, the sources said.
The RLDA has been given about 3,761 acres of vacant land at about 135 sites across the country to develop them for commercial purposes only, the sources said.