NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has urged the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) to initiate residential projects on its land parcels in various cities, aiming to provide affordable rental housing for the young railway workforce.
Addressing queries about RLDA’s ongoing projects nationwide, Vaishnaw highlighted the significant potential for developing rental housing complexes that the new generation of employees can afford. “I have asked the RLDA chairman to prioritize this initiative, as it will meet the housing needs of employees relocating to cities for work who require decent and affordable accommodation,” he said. Rental housing is a common and effective solution in many major global cities.
The minister also noted that RLDA is actively redeveloping several projects, including residential ones, across different urban centers. As an agency under the Railway Ministry, RLDA focuses on repurposing railway land for commercial and residential use.
Sources within the ministry pointed out that affordable rental housing not only addresses a critical need for many city-bound workers but also presents a promising revenue model for RLDA.
Earlier, during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government had launched the Affordable Rental Housing Complex (ARHC) scheme to provide suitable housing for migrant workers, who often live in slums or informal settlements to save on accommodation costs.
