Difference between revisions of "Public Wealth Wiki"

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India has enormous public wealth. This is the wealth that is owned by the people and controlled by the government.<ref>Article 297, Constitution of India, 1950</ref>.
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<strong>MediaWiki has been installed.</strong>
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<br>
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The goal of Dhan Vapasi wiki is to pull together information of public wealth of India from credible and publicly available sources.  
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Consult the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Contents User's Guide] for information on using the wiki software.
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Such information is fragmented and mostly unavailable at present. Dhan Vapasi wiki aims to fill this deficit.  
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The public wealth of India belongs to its citizens and so does the information about its details.  
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== Public Wealth Wiki ==
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<br>
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The value that can be derived out of India's natural resources has been estimated at ₹ 1,000 crores <ref> This value is the realisable value estimated as 25% of the total value of natural resources. </ref>
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India has enormous public wealth. This is the wealth that is owned by the people and controlled by the government. The Union, State and local governments in India own massive amount of wealth directly or through various public-sector enterprises, ownership of mineral resources, control of airwaves and ownership of marine resources within territorial waters of India. <ref>
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The value of surplus public land available in the country is ₹ 340 crores. This wealth is more than ₹50 lakh for each household in India.  
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*{{cite web|title=Article 297, Constitution of India, 1950|}}</ref>
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<br>
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{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 65%
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Only the mineral resources of India have been estimated to be worth more than ₹5000 lakh crores of wealth according to analysts.
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'''Dhan Vapsi Fund''' 
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This sum is equivalent to over ₹40 lakh per person in India. Apart from that, there are thousands of acres of land parcels controlled by the government. By our estimates, the known public wealth of India is over ₹1340 lakh crore, which equals to over ₹50 lakh per Indian family.
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! colspan="2" scope="col" style="width: 110px;" | '''Resource'''
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This figure is from a very conservative estimate of the wealth of the people. We have only taken 20% of the mineral wealth of the country in the account for arriving at the number. In addition, the undiscovered public wealth of India is yet to be categorised and valued. Except for defence and railways, most other ministries and departments of the Union Government do not even know how much of land and resources they own.  
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! scope="col" style="width: 110px;" | '''Value (₹ lakh crore)'''
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While some of the public resources are being used to support essential government services, most of them are lying idle across the nation due to gross misuse and poor management. All governments in India, be it central, state, or local, have contributed to the degradation of resources belonging to the people. When millions of our compatriots live in abject poverty, such a situation is unacceptable.
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! scope="col" style="width: 110px;" | '''Value per household (₹)'''
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It is important to note that even though public wealth includes common resources such as roads, government offices, airports, etc. we have not included those resources in the Public Wealth Wiki.
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|-
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| colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" |'''[[Wiki_2.0#Land|Surplus Public Land]]'''||style="text-align:center;" |340||style="text-align:right;"|13,60,000
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|-
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| colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|'''[[Wiki_2.0#Minerals|Natural Resources]]'''||style="text-align:center;" |1,252||style="text-align:right;"|50,11,000
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|-
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| rowspan="3"| ||style="text-align:left;"| Hydrocarbon||style="text-align:center;" |378||style="text-align:right;"|15,12,000
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|-
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| style="text-align:left;"| Mines & Minerals||style="text-align:center;" |847||style="text-align:right;"|33,90,000
 +
|-
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| style="text-align:left;"| Radioactive Substances||style="text-align:center;" |27||style="text-align:right;"|1,09,000
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|-
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| colspan ="2" style="text-align:left;" style="background:#B9D3EE;"|'''Value of Dhan Vapsi Fund as on February 2018'''|| style="background:#B9D3EE;text-align:center;"|'''₹ 1,592 lakh crore'''||style="background:#B9D3EE;text-align:right;"|'''₹ 63,71,000'''
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|-
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| colspan ="2" style="text-align:left; background:#B9D3EE;"|'''Duration Dhan Vapsi Fund can last'''||style="text-align:center; background:#B9D3EE;" colspan="2" |'''63 Years'''
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|-
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|}
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<br>
 
=Background=
 
=Background=
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Historically, the ownership of public wealth belonged to the kings in India and most other parts of the world by the invocation of the divine rights or through means of coercion. Presently, the rights over the public wealth belong to the democratically elected Indian government, which is obligated under the constitution to use this wealth for public good.   
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Historically, the ownership of public wealth belonged to the kings in India and most other parts of the world by the invocation of the divine rights or through means of coercion. Presently, the rights over the public wealth belong to the democratically elected Indian government, which is obligated under the constitution to use this wealth for public good.<ref>Article 39 (b) states – “The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing ... (b) that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good.”</ref>  
 
==Ancient India==
 
==Ancient India==
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In ancient India, even though the Kings represented the State, the mineral wealth did not vest in them. They were only entitled to receive the taxes or revenue form the production or extraction of minerals.  Simultaneously, the ownership of other public resources such as forests and water bodies were shared by the community which relied on them. However, the ownership of mineral resources gradually transferred to the state beginning with the empire of Chandragupta Maurya, particularly as Kautilya justified state monopoly over mineral resources in his seminal work Arthasastra.  The ownership of resources other than minerals, such as forests and water bodies, continued to be with the kings or the community in one form or the other across India till the arrival of the British East India Company.
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In ancient India, even though the Kings represented the State, the mineral wealth did not vest in them. They were only entitled to receive the taxes or revenue form the production or extraction of minerals.<ref>Indian Bureau of Mines. (2011). Mineral Royalties. Nagpur: Indian Bureau of Mines.</ref> Simultaneously, the ownership of other public resources such as forests and water bodies were shared by the community which relied on them. However, the ownership of mineral resources gradually transferred to the state beginning with the empire of Chandragupta Maurya, particularly as Kautilya<ref>Ancient Indian teacher, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor, 371-283 BC.</ref> justified state monopoly over mineral resources in his seminal work Arthasastra.<ref>Supra, Note 5.</ref> The ownership of resources other than minerals, such as forests and water bodies, continued to be with the kings or the community in one form or the other across India till the arrival of the British East India Company.
 
==British India==
 
==British India==
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The British East India Company started using the power of the state to acquire private property for public use as early as 1824 in Bengal and other parts of India. The Bengal Regulation I of 1824 allowed the Company to obtain private properties by paying a fair price for construction of “roads, canals, or other public purposes”  when the Company only had limited rights related to taxation and trade as per the powers bestowed on it by the British Crown. Thus, all acquisitions conducted under the Bengal regulation and similar laws in other parts of India were patently illegal until 1857 when the British Crown took over control of India. Following that, the British acquired most of the natural and mineral resources of India; either by acquisition with meagre compensation or by coercion.
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The British East India Company started using the power of the state to acquire private property<ref>The power of “Eminent Domain” – Forceful acquisition or requisition of property by the government for public purpose.</ref> for public use as early as 1824 in Bengal and other parts of India. The Bengal Regulation I of 1824 allowed the Company to obtain private properties by paying a fair price for construction of “roads, canals, or other public purposes”<ref>Bhattacharyya, D. (2015). History of Eminent Domain in Colonial Thought and Legal Practice. Economic & Political Weekly, L (50), 46.</ref> when the Company only had limited rights related to taxation and trade as per the powers bestowed on it by the British Crown. Thus, all acquisitions conducted under the Bengal regulation and similar laws in other parts of India were patently illegal until 1857 when the British Crown took over control of India. Following that, the British acquired most of the natural and mineral resources of India; either by acquisition with meagre compensation or by coercion.
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Concurrently with the British rule, different princely states in India adopted similar policies with respect to the ownership of public wealth. While some states adopted the state’s ownership of public wealth, others bestowed the ownership to the community. Some states neglected the issue altogether and adopted a non-property attitude towards public wealth and kept it as commons, particularly in case of forests and water bodies.
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Concurrently with the British rule, different princely states in India adopted similar policies with respect to the ownership of public wealth. While some states adopted the state’s ownership of public wealth, others bestowed the ownership to the community. Some states neglected the issue altogether and adopted a non-property attitude towards public wealth and kept it as commons<ref>Cultural or natural resource accessible to all members of the society. </ref>, particularly in case of forests and water bodies.
 
==Modern India==
 
==Modern India==
 
The Constitution of India bestows the ownership and control over using resources is in hands of the central and state governments under various articles. However, individuals and corporations can make use of the public resources under a license from the government.  
 
The Constitution of India bestows the ownership and control over using resources is in hands of the central and state governments under various articles. However, individuals and corporations can make use of the public resources under a license from the government.  
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Since independence, there has been no concrete effort by the central or the state governments to define public wealth or regulate the same in a meaningful manner, instead the governments have chosen to deal with the issue on an ad-hoc basis. Noting the same, the Hon’ble Supreme Court, while announcing the judgment on 2G scam in 2012, observed – “no comprehensive legislation has been enacted to generally define natural resources and a framework for their protection.”  
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Since independence, there has been no concrete effort by the central or the state governments to define public wealth or regulate the same in a meaningful manner, instead the governments have chosen to deal with the issue on an ad-hoc basis. Noting the same, the Hon’ble Supreme Court, while announcing the judgment on 2G scam in 2012, observed – “no comprehensive legislation has been enacted to generally define natural resources and a framework for their protection.”<ref>Centre for Public Interest Litigation and others v. Union of India and others, (2012) 3 SCC 1</ref>
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Given the constitutional provisions, the Indian state is the trustee and legal owner of the public wealth of India under the doctrine of public trust, which "enjoins upon the Government to protect the resources for the enjoyment of the public rather than to permit their use for private ownership or commercial purposes". Natural resources belong to the people, but the State legally owns them on our behalf.  
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Given the constitutional provisions, the Indian state is the trustee and legal owner of the public wealth of India under the doctrine of public trust, which "enjoins upon the Government to protect the resources for the enjoyment of the public rather than to permit their use for private ownership or commercial purposes".<ref>M. C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath (1997)1 SCC 388</ref> Natural resources belong to the people, but the State legally owns them on our behalf.
  
 
=Public Wealth of India=
 
=Public Wealth of India=
 +
 +
Public wealth is the sum of the public assets collectively owned by all citizens of the country. The government is the manager of this public wealth.
 +
It comprises of public commercial assets under the government, such as various natural resources, public sector undertakings (PSUs) and commercial real estate. The term ''public'' consists of wealth owned by all the levels of government namely, central, state, and local levels.
 +
''Public assets'' do not comprise ''public property'', which refers to assets and resources that are available to the entire public for use, such as roads and bridges, public parks, protected wildlife sanctuaries.
 +
Public wealth consists of assets or operations generating an income that could be given some kind of market value if properly structured and used. Typical examples include:
 +
* minerals
 +
* real estate such as Lutyens Bungalow Zone (New Delhi), Navy Nagar (Mumbai)
 +
* central and state public sector enterprises
 +
* financial institutions
 +
* land banks available with various state land development authorities and in special economic zones (SEZs)
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* land and buildings under the government for provision of non-essential functions <ref> Non-essential functions are those that are not directly connected with the maintenance of law and order, and national security. </ref>.
 +
 +
The total public wealth recorded from publicly available information is ₹ 1,341 lakh crore (₹ 53,64,000 per household <ref> No. of households – 25 crore (125 crore population [Census 2011] / 5 [size of a household as per GoI]) </ref>) as on October 2018.
 +
 
==Land==
 
==Land==
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Land is an essential resource in the economic life of a nation. Without land, no economic activity can take place. Land is a limited resource, we cannot create more land. The term 'land' includes all physical elements in the wealth of a nation bestowed by nature; such as climate, environment, fields, forests, minerals, mountains, lakes, streams, seas, and animals.  Given the lack of clear titles and records, no one knows how much land is owned by the government and how much of it remains under encroachment. Only marginal progress has been made on that front in recent years by the Union Government.
 
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===Defence===
 
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The Ministry of Defence is one of the biggest landholder in India. It holds of 17.31 lakh acres of land.  A lot of this land is vacant and unused. As per the CAG Report, the Ministry has 81,000 acres of surplus land nationwide. Out of that, almost 15,000 acres of land is in major urban centres such as Chennai, Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai.
 
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Proposals to rationalize the use of Defence lands are highly sensitive. Most policy discussions treat Defence property as off limits when it comes to identifying surplus landholdings. This view is prudent in the short-run. Identifying surplus property in other central-government institutions is likely to be less controversial and meet with less powerful resistance. However, over the longer term, the perspective changes. Defence holds the largest blocs of urban land. Some of this land is inefficiently located for Defence purposes. Some is now used for non-Defence activities.
 
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Other countries have included Defence property in their assessments of efficient public land use. In fact, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, and the Philippines all have found that more than 90% of total public land identified as surplus and monetized has come from outdated military bases.  In many cases decommissioned military bases have become the anchor sites for large-scale, successful urban redevelopment. India at one-time audited Defence lands to find parcels that were permanently surplus for military use. It therefore is useful, in assessing centrally-controlled lands, to consider Defence property.
 
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The Ministry of defence has 97 golf courses covering 8,076 acres of mostly urban land. Golf courses are not authorized uses on A-1 Defence lands.  To avoid the charge of having surplus recreational land, the Army in 2004 relabelled its golf courses as Army environmental parks and training areas. The CAG report dryly notes that there is no evidence that the relabelled golf courses are designed for maintaining ecological balance.
 
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Some Defence lands are allocated to favoured parties under legacy leases at far below market rates. The Agra (Golf) Club occupies 17.68 acres for which it has paid annual rent of Rs 58.92 per year since 1992. The racetrack in Pune Cantonment has been leased to Royal Western India Turf Club since 1902. The lease is for 65.15 acres, but over time the Club has expanded onto an additional 24.1 acres of Defence land without sanction.
 
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Other lease arrangements have been the subject of recent scandal. The Adarsh Society scam  and the Srinagar Airport scam  are two examples of alleged collusion between local military officials, bureaucrats, politicians, and developers. Through a series of manoeuvres, Defence land was re-classified as civilian land. No Objection Certificates then were issued to private developers to authorise construction of luxury high-rise buildings in prime locations.
 
  
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===Railways===
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Land among capital, labour and entrepreneurial skills is one of the four fundamental resources that determines the size and productivity of an economy.
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Indian Railways is a public enterprise owned by central government and administered through the Ministry of Railways.
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Land in India is suffering from an artificial scarcity created out of a high cost of acquisition from excessive regulations. Major urban land parcels are lying vacant and unused locking valuable land available in the market.
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The total area of land under Railway network is 4,61,487 hectares out of which 4,14,240 hectare is under operational and allied use and 46,333 hectare land is vacant.<ref>
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The following calculation points out there is ample land available in the country –
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*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref> A huge amount of land under railways, is given to Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA). The authority has nearly 55,910 acres. <ref>
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<br>
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*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<br>
 +
If one places 1.2 billion people in four-person homes of 1000 square feet each, and two workers of the family into office/factory space of 400 square feet, this requires roughly 1 per cent of India's land area assuming an FSI of 1. <ref> Shah A,  [//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/19949364.cms?from=mdr&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst Economic Times] "Why real estate is a bad long-term investment" </ref>
 +
<br>
 +
<br>
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Yet the price of land in a city like Mumbai or Delhi is much more compared to major cities across the world.
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The government-owned land is part of the problem. An estimate holds that governments own as much as __ per cent of total available land in the country [IDF report pick the number/ idea]. This keeps away productive land from falling into private hands for generating revenue and employment.
 +
The defence forces are the largest landowners in the country. Excluding the prime urban land occupied in cities by defence stations, the surplus land as per internal and CG audits is 78,846 acres.
 +
 
 +
Railways are the second largest landowners in the country with 6,407 acres land available.<ref> as disclose by railways, however, there exists a larger unfound inventory requiring a thorough audit</ref>
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 +
Major ports in the country also hold huge tracts of land. The land available with all the major ports is 27,379 acres.
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 +
National Textile Corporation holds 1,158 acres of prime urban land locked by defunct mills within densely populated cities.
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 +
Various public sector enterprises, now defunct, or serial loss-making enterprises have locked away highly valuable urban land parcels.
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 +
Special Economic Zones are a special case of how land was forecefully extracted and acquired from the poor in the name of industralisation, only to remain wasted and unusued. The land available with them is an estimated 72,847 acres.
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 +
The table below highlights many such insitutions and bodies locking away land in cities. This list is bound to expand as more information is uncovered.
 +
<br>
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<br>
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Table 2 and Table 3 point out the surplus land available with various government bodies owned by central and state governments.
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 +
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 66%
 +
|+ style="color:#2B3990;"|'''Table 2: Surplus Public Land Under Central Government''' 
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! scope="col" style="width: 15px;" | #
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! scope="col" style="width: 250px;" | Body Name
 +
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | Area (acre)
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! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | Value (₹ crore)
 +
|-
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|1||[[Air India]]||style="text-align:center;"|NA<ref> Information on the total land held by Air India is not known, however its approximate value is made available in the financial reports</ref>||style="text-align:right;"|8,000
 +
|-
 +
|2|| [[Railways]]||style="text-align:center;"|6,407||style="text-align:right;"|2,70,406
 +
|-
 +
|3||[[Defence]]||style="text-align:center;"|296,914||style="text-align:right;"|24,53,664
 +
|-
 +
|4|| [[Department of Posts]]||style="text-align:center;"|1,146||style="text-align:right;"|366
 +
|-
 +
|5|| [[Delhi Development Authority]]||style="text-align:center;"|5,675||style="text-align:right;"|1,00,000
 +
|-
 +
|6|| [[Heavy Engineering Corporation]] ||style="text-align:center;"|5,000 ||style="text-align:right;"|14,560
 +
|-
 +
|8||[[Hindustan Machines and Tools Ltd.]] ||style="text-align:center;"|471||style="text-align:right;"|997
 +
|-
 +
|9||[[Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)]] ||style="text-align:center;"|2,982 ||style="text-align:right;"|6,140
 +
|-
 +
|10||[[Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd]] ||style="text-align:center;"|938 ||style="text-align:right;"|20,224
 +
|-
 +
|11||[[National Textile Corporation]] ||style="text-align:center;"|1,158 ||style="text-align:right;"|25,622
 +
|-
 +
|12||[[Port Trusts]] ||style="text-align:center;"|27,379 ||style="text-align:right;"|20,02,717
 +
|-
 +
|13||[[Richardson & Cruddas]]||style="text-align:center;"|76||style="text-align:right;"|9,824
 +
|-
 +
|14||[[Steel Authority of India Limited]]||style="text-align:center;"|29,008||style="text-align:right;"|58,149
 +
|-
 +
|15||[[Lutyens Bungalow Zone]]||style="text-align:center;"|6,177||style="text-align:right;"|19,32,683
 +
|-
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| scope = "row" colspan = "2" align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Total'''
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| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''383,331 acre'''
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| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''₹ 68.62 lakh crore'''
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
 
 +
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 66%
 +
|+ style="color:#2B3990;"|'''Table 3: Surplus Public Land Under State Governments'''  
 +
! scope="col" style="width: 15px;" | #
 +
! scope="col" style="width: 250px;" | Body Name
 +
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | Area (acre)
 +
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | Value (₹ crore)
 +
|-
 +
| 1||[[National Capital Region of Delhi|Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board]]||style="text-align:center;" | 5,675 || style="text-align:right;" | 48,480
 +
|-
 +
| 2||[[Punjab Urban Development Authority ]] ||style="text-align:center;" |7,337 ||style="text-align:right;" |14,848
 +
|-
 +
| 3||[[Karnataka Public Land Corporation Limited ]]||style="text-align:center;" | 474||style="text-align:right;" |6,000
 +
|-
 +
| 4||[[State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakahnd Limited]] || style="text-align:center;" |2,016 || style="text-align:right;" |3,988
 +
|-
 +
| 5||[[Rajasthan State Industrial Investment and Corporation Limited]] ||style="text-align:center;" | 1,150 ||style="text-align:right;" |2,645
 +
|-
 +
| 6||[[Assam Industrial Development Corporation]]|| style="text-align:center;" |471||style="text-align:right;" |2,350
 +
|-
 +
| 7||[[Haryana Revenue Department]]||style="text-align:center;" |674||style="text-align:right;" |1,414
 +
|-
 +
| 8||[[Haldia Development Authority]]||style="text-align:center;" |624 ||style="text-align:right;" |730
 +
|-
 +
| 9||[[Ranchi Industrial Area Development Authority]]||style="text-align:center;" |184 ||style="text-align:right;" |630
 +
|-
 +
| 10||[[Bihar Industrial Area Development Auhtority]]|| style="text-align:center;" | 144||style="text-align:right;" |285
 +
|-
 +
| 11||[[Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority]]||style="text-align:center;" |73 ||style="text-align:right;" |150
 +
|-
 +
| 12||[[Odisha Revenue Department]]||style="text-align:center;"|5,40,725 ||style="text-align:right;"|217.95
 +
|-
 +
| 13||[[Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation]]||style="text-align:center;"|1,508||style="text-align:right;"|3,038
 +
|-
 +
| 14||[[Maharashtra Dairy Development Department]]||style="text-align:center;"|3,198||style="text-align:right;"|8,11,000
 +
|-
 +
| 15||[[Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation]]||style="text-align:center;"|7,540||style="text-align:right;"|4,485
 +
|-
 +
| 16 ||[[Special Economic Zones]]||style="text-align:center;"|72,847||style="text-align:right;" | 1,47,401
 +
|-
 +
| 17 ||[[Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority]]||style="text-align:center;"|75 ||style="text-align:right;" | 1,320
 +
|-
 +
| 18 ||[[Gujarat State Warehousing Corporation]]||style="text-align:center;"|33 ||style="text-align:right;"| 67
 +
|-
 +
| 19 || [[Delhi Gram Sabha]]||style="text-align:center;"|622||style="text-align:right;"| 1,18,453
 +
|-
 +
| 20 ||[[Haryana Irrigation Department]]||style="text-align:center;"|2,421||style="text-align:right;"| 4,899
 +
|-
 +
| scope = "row" colspan = "2" align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Total'''
 +
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|''' 644,715 acre'''
 +
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''₹ 19.76 lakh crore'''
 +
|}
  
 
==Minerals==
 
==Minerals==
−
The total value of the mineral resources of the country is estimated to be ₹5000 lakh crore. However, this number is highly conservative. The central or state governments do not have a dedicated database which lists all the resources under their control with the appropriate market values. The number also excludes the unexplored resources and spectrum under control of our governments. The number was calculated by using data available in public domain by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, a public-policy think tank based in New Delhi. <ref>
 
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*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref> The calculation only includes –
 
−
i. Stocks of hydrocarbons in the country such as coal, lignite, crude oil, natural gas, etc. and
 
−
ii. Major mined and mineral resources stock in the country. <ref>
 
−
*{{cite web|title=Annual Report and Accounts 2015-16.Report.|url=http://rlda.indianrailways.gov.in/works/uploads/File/RLDA_Annual_Report_15_16_English.pdf.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
 
  
−
==Public Sector Undertakings==
+
The total value of the mineral resources of the country is estimated to be ₹5000 lakh crore. However, this number is highly conservative. The central or state governments do not have a dedicated database which lists all the resources under their control with the appropriate market values. The number also excludes the unexplored resources and spectrum under control of our governments. The number was calculated by using data available in the public domain by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, a public-policy think tank based in New Delhi. <ref>Supra Note 4. </ref> The calculation only includes –
−
The 298 central public-sector enterprises (CPSEs) including many closed units own vast parcels of land across India. The unused parcels, which are often in city centres, could be repurposed for educational institutions, infrastructure projects, health facilities, affordable housing, urban forestry, or even roads.
+
* Stocks of hydrocarbons in the country such as coal, lignite, crude oil, natural gas, etc.  
−
Preliminary surveys show that just 58 CPSEs hold about 2.38 lakh acres of unused land. Officials point out that most PSUs would have an average of 200-400 acres of land, while some may have over 1,200 acres.
+
* Major mined and mineral resources stock in the country. <ref>Ibid. page 2.</ref>
−
There is no concrete data on surplus land with the 298 CPSEs and under various ministries. But their value is estimated to be in lakhs of crores. Vijay Kelkar’s study of CPSE land had estimated ₹22,000 crore worth of surplus land in Ahmedabad alone in 2010-11.<ref>
+
According to an estimate by Schlumberger in 2015,  India holds a minimum of  300  trillion cubic feet (Tfc) of gas and oil resources. An estimate of US Geological Survey reveals that India might be the world's second-largest holder of gas hydrate reserves. The total amount of reserves that India has can be between 300 and 2,100 (Tfc) as per the estimate by Schlumberger in 2015.
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
<br>
−
 
+
According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the total 4.67 billion cubic meter (BCM) of natural gas was produced by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Oil India Company (OIC) and Private Joint Ventures in the year 2017-18. These companies have been producing natural gas from fields/blocks located in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. The total balance recoverable reserve of natural gas is about 198 BCM in North-Eastern states. <ref>"Gas Reserves in Assam and Other North-Eastern States." Press Information Bureau Government of India Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. August 1, 2018. http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=181318..</ref>
−
=Case Studies=
+
<br>
−
==Delhi Development Authority==
+
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 80%
−
A survey conducted for the first time regarding the DDA-administered land in the city with the help of National Productivity Council and Geospatial Data Limited. The survey included plots under various land uses such as industrial, commercial, and recreational. The focus behind the survey was to protect these plots from illegal encroachment. The survey found that 5,484 acres of land under DDA was lying vacant. The survey also found that 298 acres of land under DDA was under litigation. <ref>
+
|+ style="color:#2B3990;"|<ref>Kundu Sridhar,[http://www.cbgaindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Estimated-Value-of-Government-Owned-Natural-Resources-in-India.pdf "A Note on
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref> The total area of New Delhi is around 10551.4 acre out of which 5,484 acres of land under DDA is vacant.<ref>
+
the Estimated Value of Government-Owned Natural Resources in India
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref> Which means about 50 percent of total land in New Delhi is lying vacant with DDA. The value of total vacant land under DDA is worth 1 lakh crore.  
+
"], CBGA, 2014, Table III</ref>
−
==Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited==
+
'''Mineral Wealth of India''' 
−
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), holds vast tracts of land across India. According to the report number 17 of 2014 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, BSNL hold huge tracts of land from the Department of Telecommunications in the year 2000. The Company does not however have a laid down Land Management Policy (May 2013). Procurement of land is carried out by the authorized functionaries as per the delegation of Financial powers of the Company. PGM (BW) which heads the Civil Wing of the Company at Corporate Office is mandated to maintain the database of the land bank of the company.
+
! scope="col" style="width: 15px;" | #
−
As per details of land holdings contained in the MIS (Management Information System) maintained by the Civil Wing, the total number of plots, area of the plots, freehold/leasehold, cost of acquisition i.e. book value, present value, lease period etc., Circle-wise and SSA-wise, in respect of 44 out of 451 circles of the company was available as on 26 September 2012. The Company inherited from the DoT 12194 plots 3 measuring 406.31 lakh square meters with book value of `3103.03 crore located at various places. After formation of BSNL, the company had acquired/ taken on lease 2788 plots measuring 34.5 lakh square meters with book value of `380.41 crore. Thus, the total book value of the land as per the MIS data of Civil Wing was `3483.44 crore.
+
! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | Mineral
−
As on 31 March 2012, the Company had 1953 plots with freehold rights measuring 32.46 lakh square meters kept fully vacant across the country in 29 circles. 1719 plots measuring 27 lakh square meters in selected 15 Circles were kept fully vacant out of the total freehold plots of 1135215 measuring 307.82 lakh square meters. In 25 out of selected 67 SSAs under 15 Circles, Audit observed that 119 plots covering an area of 1.70 lakh square meters with a book value of `7.60 crore were lying vacant (March 2012). <ref>
+
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | Total Reserve (tonne)
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | Value (₹ crore)
−
==Air India==
+
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | Price (₹ thousand/ tonne)
−
In the Union Budget 2017-18, Arun Jaitley announced government’s plan to monetise land bank held by Airport Authority of India which is the third largest landowner in the country after armed forces and railways.  <ref>
+
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | Method of Pricing (₹ crore)
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
|-
−
As per a document from the Geological Survey of India, several residential and commercial plots owned by Air India have been put up for Auction. These plots are mostly located in prime locations, with high values, with a consolidated area of about 92 acres. To generate revenue, Air India has finally started monetising its surplus land.<ref>
+
|1|| Antimony||1 lakh|| 490|| 518|| Export Parity
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
|-
−
==State Industrial Development Corporations==
+
|2|| Asbestos||22.2 million|| 350|| 62,875|| Import Parity
−
The Industrial land comes under the jurisdiction of the state governments. In India, the vast tracts of industrial land under the State Development Authority is lying vacant.
+
|-
−
Rajasthan State Industrial Investment & Corporation Limited (RIICO), is premier agency of Rajasthan Government. RIICO is primarily engaged in site selection and acquisition of land, it provides financial assistance to small and medium enterprises. RIICO has 27 offices in Rajasthan and has developed 338 industrial areas by acquiring 59,084 acres of land Rajasthan State Industrial Investment & Corporation Limited (RIICO), has 1308.87 acres of vacant industrial land in Rajasthan. <ref>
+
|3|| Barytes|| 73 million || 5.2|| 38066|| Export Parity
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
|-
−
State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIIDCUL), is Government of Uttarakhand Enterprise which integrated as a limited company in the year 2002 with an authorized share capital of 50 crore and 28. 50 crores paid-up capital through the Government of Uttarakhand to foster industrial development in the state. SIIDCUL has a widespread of Industrial Estates holding huge tracts of unused land. The total area of industrial vacant land under SIIDCUL is 1820 acres.<ref>
+
|4 ||Betonite|| 568 million|| 26.6|| 15,10,969|| Export Parity
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
|-
−
Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA), is a statutory organization under the provision of Bihar Industrial Area Development ACT 1974, with a mission to promote infrastructure for Industrialization of the state. There are 50 industrial areas under 4 regional offices Patna, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga. The total area of vacant industrial land under BIADA is 178.91 acres.<ref>
+
|5|| Borax ||74.2 thousand|| 20.2 ||150|| Import Parity
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
|-
−
Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Corporation Limited is a public-sector undertaking of Government of Uttar Pradesh. The Corporation since last 56 years is functioning to promote the industrial development of the state. The corporation hold unused land of 1487 acres.<ref>
+
|6|| Calcite|| 20.94 million|| 4.7 || 9782 || Import Parity
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
|-
−
==Special Economic Zones==
+
|7|| Chromite|| 203 million ||16.5|| 3,35,934|| Export Parity
−
According to Report number 21 of 2014 of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on Performance of Special Economic Zones (SEZs),<ref>
+
|-
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>  below are some instances of how the land allotted for SEZs was misused and diverted. This is especially important in the light of the discussion happening around the Land Acquisition Ordinance of the NDA government.
+
|8 || Copper || 1.56 billion || 45.3 || 70,69,237 || Export Parity
−
Diversion of SEZ land for commercial purposes: 14% of land i.e., out of 39245.56 hectares of land notified in the six States10, 5402.22 hectares was diverted for commercial purposes after de-notification. Many tracts of these lands were acquired invoking the ‘public purpose’ clause. Thus, land acquired was not serving the objectives of the SEZ act. This is one of the fears with the new Land Acquisition Ordinance. How does the Government ensure that the land acquired is not misused by private parties?
+
|-
−
According to the CAG, out of the 392 notified zones, only 152 have become operational. In various states, the Developers had not commenced investments and the land had been lying idle in their custody for 2 to 7 years.
+
|9 ||Diamond|| 31.92 million ||0.207/carat|| 661|| Export Parity
−
==Port Trusts==
+
|-
−
The top 12 state-owned ports have 77,191.14 acres and an additional 1.98 lakh acres of submerged land.<ref>
+
|10|| Diaspore ||5.98 million|| 1|| 598|| Export Parity
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>  However, the title deeds for 34,943.41 acres—or 45.27 per cent of the ports’ total landholdings—are still missing.<ref>
+
|-
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
|11 ||Diatomite ||2.9 million|| 8.9|| 2,554|| Export Parity
−
==Hindustan Aeronautics Limited==
+
|-
−
HAL was established as Hindustan Aircraft Limited in 1940 and have its headquarters in Bangalore. In the year 1963, the State Government of Odisha allotted 12,000 acres of land belonging to 11 village to HAL. HAL has allotted 6,000 acres of land to Central University of Odisha and Cobra Battalion. Now, 2918.53 acres of land under HAL is vacant in Bhubaneshwar.<ref>
+
|12|| Dolomite ||7.7 billion|| 2.3 ||17,55,856|| Import parity
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>  In Koraput, Odisha out of 3,121.15 acres of land under the HAL 50.21 acres is encroached by the local villagers for more than 25 years.<ref>
+
|-
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
|13|| Felspar|| 132 million ||3.4|| 44,595|| Export Parity
−
==Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board==
+
|-
−
The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, functions under the control of the Government of NCT under the preview of DUSIB Act 2010. DUSIB is majorly responsible for improving the quality of slum and JJ dwellers. DUSIB implement schemes on the behalf of New Delhi government. There are 30 lakh people in the city living in around 6 lakh jhuggies which social infrastructure is deteriorating, which is a grave concern.
+
|14|| Fireclay || 713.5 million || 2.5|| 1,80,923|| Export Parity
−
The DUSIB has 102.93 hectares of vacant land available in JJR Colonies, and 918 square metres of vacant land in Nand Nagri, Village Mandoli in New Delhi.<ref>
+
|-
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
|15|| Fluorite ||18.2 million|| 9.8 ||17,878|| Export Parity
−
==Department of Posts==
+
|-
−
The Department of Posts is a government operated posted company. The Postal Company comes under Department of Posts which is the part of Ministry of Communications. According to the CAG report Union Government (Communication and IT Sector) for the year 2016, the scrutiny of records from December 2015 to January 2016 in 20 postal circles (states) disclosed that 1,608 free-hold plots measuring 48.08 lakh sqm which were purchased  in past (even in 19th century) for the purpose for constructing postal offices and staff quarters were lying vacant.  The possession cost of 980 free-hold plots was 77.03 crore and the information was not available for the remaining plots. It was observed that the current value of 472 vacant plots measuring 6.77 lakh sqm in the states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, and Maharashtra had risen to Rs 209.55 crore (December 2015) from the actual acquisition cost 4.33 crore.
+
|16|| Fuller Earth|| 256.7 million ||3.4|| 87,786|| Average Cost
−
The 19 out of 22 circles (states) from the scrutiny of records (December 2015 to January 2016) disclosed that 241 free hold plots measuring an area of 3.24 lakh square meter with the purchasing cost of Rs 13.94 crore were encroached. Therefore, the current value of 107 encroached plots with 76,683 sqm as provided by the six circles, had risen to Rs 63.90 crore from its original value of Rs 3.59 crore.
+
|-
−
Scrutiny of land records made available to audit (December 2015 and January 2016) revealed that in 16 Circles out of 22 Circles, 100 plots measuring 4.08 lakh sq. meter acquired on lease for construction of post office buildings/staff quarters, as far back as in 1978, were still lying vacant and an amount of ` 3.37 crore during the period up to 2014 was paid towards lease rent .It was further observed that in Delhi Circle alone, 19 plots measuring 53,137 square meter taken on lease of ` 2.37 crore during 1983 to 2014 were still lying vacant without any use. In Mumbai Postal Region alone, nine plots measuring 16,597 square meters taken on lease during 1984 to 1992 were still lying vacant.<ref>
+
|17|| Garnet|| 56.96 million ||7.5|| 42,762|| Export Parity
−
*{{cite web|title=Land with Railways|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133158.|publisher=Government of India, Ministry of Railways|accessdate=April 4, 2018|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+
|-
 +
|18|| Granite ||116 billion|| 12.3 ||14,29,39,709|| Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|19 ||Gold|| 493.69 million ||1920/kg|| 9,48,59,391|| Average Cost
 +
|-
 +
|20|| Graphite || 174.85 million ||32|| 560591|| Import Parity
 +
|-
 +
|21|| Gypsum|| 1.2 billion || 1.3 || 1,71,950 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|22 || Titanium || 394 million || 5.1 || 2,01,376 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|23 || Iron Ore (Hematite) || 17.9 billion || 4.6 || 81,76,992 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|24 ||Iron (Magnetite) || 10.6 billion || 4.6 || 48,42,241 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|25 || Kyanite || 103.24 million || 13.6 || 1,40,480 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|26 || Sillimanite || 66.98 million || 11.4 || 76,201 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|27 || Andalusite || 18.5 million || 2.4 || 4,440 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|28 || Lead & Zinc || 685.6 million || 22.6 || 15,50,625 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|29 || Limestone || 184.9 bilion || 0.136 || 25,08,236 || Average Cost
 +
|-
 +
|30 || Magnesite || 335 million ||8.7 ||2,92,824 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|31 || Manganese || 288 million || 0.709 || 20,431 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|32 || Marble || 1.93 billion || 1.2 || 2,25,475 || Average Cost
 +
|-
 +
|33|| Mica || 5.3 lakh || 17.7|| 942.6 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|34 || Molybdenum || 19.3 million || 11.7 || 22,627.2 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|35 || Nickel || 189 million || 1,000 || 1,88,41,797 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|36 || Ochre || 144.26 million || 12 || 1,74,869 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|37 || Platinum || 15.7 || 70 /kg || 109 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|38 || Potash || 21.8 billion || 20 || 4,34,08,755 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|39 || Quartz and Silica || 3.5 billion || 5.6 || 19,72,584 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|40 || Quartizite || 1.25 billion || 30 || 37,35,119 || Import Parity
 +
|-
 +
|41 || Silver || 467 million || 37/kg || 17,12,471 || Average Cost
 +
|-
 +
|42 || Talc/Steatite/Soapstone || 270 million || 6 || 1,61,744 || Export Parity
 +
|-
 +
|43 || Tin || 83.73 million || 0.152/kg || 12,72,696 || Average Cost
 +
|-
 +
| scope = "row" colspan = "3" align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Total'''
 +
| scope = "row" colspan = "3" align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''₹ 33,90,35,819.8 crore'''
 +
|}
  
 
=Methodology=
 
=Methodology=
 
==Land values and Floor Space Index==
 
==Land values and Floor Space Index==
−
The Floor Space Index (FSI) is the ratio between the area of a covered floor space (built-up area) to the area of that plot on which a building stands. An index of 1 implies that the total covered floor space is 1000 Sq. Ft. on a plot of 1000 Sq. Ft. The Floor Space Index in New Delhi ranges from 1.2 to 3.5 meaning that 1200 to 3500 Sq. Ft. of floor space is available for every 1000 Sq. Ft. plot there.  
+
Wherever possible the value of land has been taken from the reports of CAG. In some cases, the body that has made details of its surplus land has also made its valuation available. In such cases, this valuation is used.
−
All the value of unused public land is calculated based on the FSI value of 1. The rates for the land have been calculated as per the
+
Internal valuation of land has been estimated for land data where its valuation has not been given. These estimations are based on conservative land prices in the market obtained from property valuation portals for rural, semi-urban, and urban land in the country.
 +
The FSI in each case is assumed to be merely 1.
 +
===FSI===
 +
The Floor Space Index (FSI) is the ratio between the area of a covered floor space (built-up area) to the area of that plot on which a building stands. An index of 1 implies that the total covered floor space is 1000 Sq.metre. on a plot of 1000 Sq.metre. The Floor Space Index in New Delhi ranges from 1.2 to 3.5 meaning that 1200 to 3500 Sq. metre. of floor space is available for every 1000 Sq. metre. plot there.  
  
 
==Minerals==
 
==Minerals==
Line 115: Line 303:
  
 
==Land==
 
==Land==
−
The data on the unused public lands was collected by researchers at Free A Billion from authoritative governmental and non-governmental sources. These sources include Parliamentary Questions,
+
The data on the unused public lands was collected by researchers at Free A Billion from authoritative governmental and non-governmental sources. These sources include Parliamentary Questions, data collected by various NGOs and think-tanks, government databases, information available from various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India.
 +
 
 +
=References=

Latest revision as of 07:52, 21 October 2019

India has enormous public wealth. This is the wealth that is owned by the people and controlled by the government.[1].
The goal of Dhan Vapasi wiki is to pull together information of public wealth of India from credible and publicly available sources. Such information is fragmented and mostly unavailable at present. Dhan Vapasi wiki aims to fill this deficit. The public wealth of India belongs to its citizens and so does the information about its details.
The value that can be derived out of India's natural resources has been estimated at ₹ 1,000 crores [2] The value of surplus public land available in the country is ₹ 340 crores. This wealth is more than ₹50 lakh for each household in India.

Dhan Vapsi Fund
Resource Value (₹ lakh crore) Value per household (₹)
Surplus Public Land 340 13,60,000
Natural Resources 1,252 50,11,000
Hydrocarbon 378 15,12,000
Mines & Minerals 847 33,90,000
Radioactive Substances 27 1,09,000
Value of Dhan Vapsi Fund as on February 2018 ₹ 1,592 lakh crore ₹ 63,71,000
Duration Dhan Vapsi Fund can last 63 Years


Background

Historically, the ownership of public wealth belonged to the kings in India and most other parts of the world by the invocation of the divine rights or through means of coercion. Presently, the rights over the public wealth belong to the democratically elected Indian government, which is obligated under the constitution to use this wealth for public good.[3]

Ancient India

In ancient India, even though the Kings represented the State, the mineral wealth did not vest in them. They were only entitled to receive the taxes or revenue form the production or extraction of minerals.[4] Simultaneously, the ownership of other public resources such as forests and water bodies were shared by the community which relied on them. However, the ownership of mineral resources gradually transferred to the state beginning with the empire of Chandragupta Maurya, particularly as Kautilya[5] justified state monopoly over mineral resources in his seminal work Arthasastra.[6] The ownership of resources other than minerals, such as forests and water bodies, continued to be with the kings or the community in one form or the other across India till the arrival of the British East India Company.

British India

The British East India Company started using the power of the state to acquire private property[7] for public use as early as 1824 in Bengal and other parts of India. The Bengal Regulation I of 1824 allowed the Company to obtain private properties by paying a fair price for construction of “roads, canals, or other public purposes”[8] when the Company only had limited rights related to taxation and trade as per the powers bestowed on it by the British Crown. Thus, all acquisitions conducted under the Bengal regulation and similar laws in other parts of India were patently illegal until 1857 when the British Crown took over control of India. Following that, the British acquired most of the natural and mineral resources of India; either by acquisition with meagre compensation or by coercion. Concurrently with the British rule, different princely states in India adopted similar policies with respect to the ownership of public wealth. While some states adopted the state’s ownership of public wealth, others bestowed the ownership to the community. Some states neglected the issue altogether and adopted a non-property attitude towards public wealth and kept it as commons[9], particularly in case of forests and water bodies.

Modern India

The Constitution of India bestows the ownership and control over using resources is in hands of the central and state governments under various articles. However, individuals and corporations can make use of the public resources under a license from the government. Since independence, there has been no concrete effort by the central or the state governments to define public wealth or regulate the same in a meaningful manner, instead the governments have chosen to deal with the issue on an ad-hoc basis. Noting the same, the Hon’ble Supreme Court, while announcing the judgment on 2G scam in 2012, observed – “no comprehensive legislation has been enacted to generally define natural resources and a framework for their protection.”[10] Given the constitutional provisions, the Indian state is the trustee and legal owner of the public wealth of India under the doctrine of public trust, which "enjoins upon the Government to protect the resources for the enjoyment of the public rather than to permit their use for private ownership or commercial purposes".[11] Natural resources belong to the people, but the State legally owns them on our behalf.

Public Wealth of India

Public wealth is the sum of the public assets collectively owned by all citizens of the country. The government is the manager of this public wealth. It comprises of public commercial assets under the government, such as various natural resources, public sector undertakings (PSUs) and commercial real estate. The term public consists of wealth owned by all the levels of government namely, central, state, and local levels. Public assets do not comprise public property, which refers to assets and resources that are available to the entire public for use, such as roads and bridges, public parks, protected wildlife sanctuaries. Public wealth consists of assets or operations generating an income that could be given some kind of market value if properly structured and used. Typical examples include:

  • minerals
  • real estate such as Lutyens Bungalow Zone (New Delhi), Navy Nagar (Mumbai)
  • central and state public sector enterprises
  • financial institutions
  • land banks available with various state land development authorities and in special economic zones (SEZs)
  • land and buildings under the government for provision of non-essential functions [12].

The total public wealth recorded from publicly available information is ₹ 1,341 lakh crore (₹ 53,64,000 per household [13]) as on October 2018.

Land

Land among capital, labour and entrepreneurial skills is one of the four fundamental resources that determines the size and productivity of an economy. Land in India is suffering from an artificial scarcity created out of a high cost of acquisition from excessive regulations. Major urban land parcels are lying vacant and unused locking valuable land available in the market. The following calculation points out there is ample land available in the country –

If one places 1.2 billion people in four-person homes of 1000 square feet each, and two workers of the family into office/factory space of 400 square feet, this requires roughly 1 per cent of India's land area assuming an FSI of 1. [14]

Yet the price of land in a city like Mumbai or Delhi is much more compared to major cities across the world. The government-owned land is part of the problem. An estimate holds that governments own as much as __ per cent of total available land in the country [IDF report pick the number/ idea]. This keeps away productive land from falling into private hands for generating revenue and employment. The defence forces are the largest landowners in the country. Excluding the prime urban land occupied in cities by defence stations, the surplus land as per internal and CG audits is 78,846 acres.

Railways are the second largest landowners in the country with 6,407 acres land available.[15]

Major ports in the country also hold huge tracts of land. The land available with all the major ports is 27,379 acres.

National Textile Corporation holds 1,158 acres of prime urban land locked by defunct mills within densely populated cities.

Various public sector enterprises, now defunct, or serial loss-making enterprises have locked away highly valuable urban land parcels.

Special Economic Zones are a special case of how land was forecefully extracted and acquired from the poor in the name of industralisation, only to remain wasted and unusued. The land available with them is an estimated 72,847 acres.

The table below highlights many such insitutions and bodies locking away land in cities. This list is bound to expand as more information is uncovered.

Table 2 and Table 3 point out the surplus land available with various government bodies owned by central and state governments.

Table 2: Surplus Public Land Under Central Government
# Body Name Area (acre) Value (₹ crore)
1 Air India NA[16] 8,000
2 Railways 6,407 2,70,406
3 Defence 296,914 24,53,664
4 Department of Posts 1,146 366
5 Delhi Development Authority 5,675 1,00,000
6 Heavy Engineering Corporation 5,000 14,560
8 Hindustan Machines and Tools Ltd. 471 997
9 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) 2,982 6,140
10 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd 938 20,224
11 National Textile Corporation 1,158 25,622
12 Port Trusts 27,379 20,02,717
13 Richardson & Cruddas 76 9,824
14 Steel Authority of India Limited 29,008 58,149
15 Lutyens Bungalow Zone 6,177 19,32,683
Total 383,331 acre ₹ 68.62 lakh crore


Table 3: Surplus Public Land Under State Governments
# Body Name Area (acre) Value (₹ crore)
1 Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board 5,675 48,480
2 Punjab Urban Development Authority 7,337 14,848
3 Karnataka Public Land Corporation Limited 474 6,000
4 State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakahnd Limited 2,016 3,988
5 Rajasthan State Industrial Investment and Corporation Limited 1,150 2,645
6 Assam Industrial Development Corporation 471 2,350
7 Haryana Revenue Department 674 1,414
8 Haldia Development Authority 624 730
9 Ranchi Industrial Area Development Authority 184 630
10 Bihar Industrial Area Development Auhtority 144 285
11 Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority 73 150
12 Odisha Revenue Department 5,40,725 217.95
13 Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation 1,508 3,038
14 Maharashtra Dairy Development Department 3,198 8,11,000
15 Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation 7,540 4,485
16 Special Economic Zones 72,847 1,47,401
17 Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority 75 1,320
18 Gujarat State Warehousing Corporation 33 67
19 Delhi Gram Sabha 622 1,18,453
20 Haryana Irrigation Department 2,421 4,899
Total 644,715 acre ₹ 19.76 lakh crore

Minerals

The total value of the mineral resources of the country is estimated to be ₹5000 lakh crore. However, this number is highly conservative. The central or state governments do not have a dedicated database which lists all the resources under their control with the appropriate market values. The number also excludes the unexplored resources and spectrum under control of our governments. The number was calculated by using data available in the public domain by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, a public-policy think tank based in New Delhi. [17] The calculation only includes –

  • Stocks of hydrocarbons in the country such as coal, lignite, crude oil, natural gas, etc.
  • Major mined and mineral resources stock in the country. [18]

According to an estimate by Schlumberger in 2015, India holds a minimum of 300 trillion cubic feet (Tfc) of gas and oil resources. An estimate of US Geological Survey reveals that India might be the world's second-largest holder of gas hydrate reserves. The total amount of reserves that India has can be between 300 and 2,100 (Tfc) as per the estimate by Schlumberger in 2015.
According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the total 4.67 billion cubic meter (BCM) of natural gas was produced by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Oil India Company (OIC) and Private Joint Ventures in the year 2017-18. These companies have been producing natural gas from fields/blocks located in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. The total balance recoverable reserve of natural gas is about 198 BCM in North-Eastern states. [19]

[20] Mineral Wealth of India
# Mineral Total Reserve (tonne) Value (₹ crore) Price (₹ thousand/ tonne) Method of Pricing (₹ crore)
1 Antimony 1 lakh 490 518 Export Parity
2 Asbestos 22.2 million 350 62,875 Import Parity
3 Barytes 73 million 5.2 38066 Export Parity
4 Betonite 568 million 26.6 15,10,969 Export Parity
5 Borax 74.2 thousand 20.2 150 Import Parity
6 Calcite 20.94 million 4.7 9782 Import Parity
7 Chromite 203 million 16.5 3,35,934 Export Parity
8 Copper 1.56 billion 45.3 70,69,237 Export Parity
9 Diamond 31.92 million 0.207/carat 661 Export Parity
10 Diaspore 5.98 million 1 598 Export Parity
11 Diatomite 2.9 million 8.9 2,554 Export Parity
12 Dolomite 7.7 billion 2.3 17,55,856 Import parity
13 Felspar 132 million 3.4 44,595 Export Parity
14 Fireclay 713.5 million 2.5 1,80,923 Export Parity
15 Fluorite 18.2 million 9.8 17,878 Export Parity
16 Fuller Earth 256.7 million 3.4 87,786 Average Cost
17 Garnet 56.96 million 7.5 42,762 Export Parity
18 Granite 116 billion 12.3 14,29,39,709 Export Parity
19 Gold 493.69 million 1920/kg 9,48,59,391 Average Cost
20 Graphite 174.85 million 32 560591 Import Parity
21 Gypsum 1.2 billion 1.3 1,71,950 Export Parity
22 Titanium 394 million 5.1 2,01,376 Export Parity
23 Iron Ore (Hematite) 17.9 billion 4.6 81,76,992 Export Parity
24 Iron (Magnetite) 10.6 billion 4.6 48,42,241 Export Parity
25 Kyanite 103.24 million 13.6 1,40,480 Export Parity
26 Sillimanite 66.98 million 11.4 76,201 Export Parity
27 Andalusite 18.5 million 2.4 4,440 Export Parity
28 Lead & Zinc 685.6 million 22.6 15,50,625 Export Parity
29 Limestone 184.9 bilion 0.136 25,08,236 Average Cost
30 Magnesite 335 million 8.7 2,92,824 Export Parity
31 Manganese 288 million 0.709 20,431 Export Parity
32 Marble 1.93 billion 1.2 2,25,475 Average Cost
33 Mica 5.3 lakh 17.7 942.6 Export Parity
34 Molybdenum 19.3 million 11.7 22,627.2 Export Parity
35 Nickel 189 million 1,000 1,88,41,797 Export Parity
36 Ochre 144.26 million 12 1,74,869 Export Parity
37 Platinum 15.7 70 /kg 109 Export Parity
38 Potash 21.8 billion 20 4,34,08,755 Export Parity
39 Quartz and Silica 3.5 billion 5.6 19,72,584 Export Parity
40 Quartizite 1.25 billion 30 37,35,119 Import Parity
41 Silver 467 million 37/kg 17,12,471 Average Cost
42 Talc/Steatite/Soapstone 270 million 6 1,61,744 Export Parity
43 Tin 83.73 million 0.152/kg 12,72,696 Average Cost
Total ₹ 33,90,35,819.8 crore

Methodology

Land values and Floor Space Index

Wherever possible the value of land has been taken from the reports of CAG. In some cases, the body that has made details of its surplus land has also made its valuation available. In such cases, this valuation is used. Internal valuation of land has been estimated for land data where its valuation has not been given. These estimations are based on conservative land prices in the market obtained from property valuation portals for rural, semi-urban, and urban land in the country. The FSI in each case is assumed to be merely 1.

FSI

The Floor Space Index (FSI) is the ratio between the area of a covered floor space (built-up area) to the area of that plot on which a building stands. An index of 1 implies that the total covered floor space is 1000 Sq.metre. on a plot of 1000 Sq.metre. The Floor Space Index in New Delhi ranges from 1.2 to 3.5 meaning that 1200 to 3500 Sq. metre. of floor space is available for every 1000 Sq. metre. plot there.

Minerals

The estimated values of the mineral resources are based on a detailed study done by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, a think-tank based in New Delhi, in 2014. The author of the report has mentioned that he calculated the value of minerals based on the information from the public domain from various governmental and non-governmental agencies.

Land

The data on the unused public lands was collected by researchers at Free A Billion from authoritative governmental and non-governmental sources. These sources include Parliamentary Questions, data collected by various NGOs and think-tanks, government databases, information available from various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India.

References

  1. ↑ Article 297, Constitution of India, 1950
  2. ↑ This value is the realisable value estimated as 25% of the total value of natural resources.
  3. ↑ Article 39 (b) states – “The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing ... (b) that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good.”
  4. ↑ Indian Bureau of Mines. (2011). Mineral Royalties. Nagpur: Indian Bureau of Mines.
  5. ↑ Ancient Indian teacher, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor, 371-283 BC.
  6. ↑ Supra, Note 5.
  7. ↑ The power of “Eminent Domain” – Forceful acquisition or requisition of property by the government for public purpose.
  8. ↑ Bhattacharyya, D. (2015). History of Eminent Domain in Colonial Thought and Legal Practice. Economic & Political Weekly, L (50), 46.
  9. ↑ Cultural or natural resource accessible to all members of the society.
  10. ↑ Centre for Public Interest Litigation and others v. Union of India and others, (2012) 3 SCC 1
  11. ↑ M. C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath (1997)1 SCC 388
  12. ↑ Non-essential functions are those that are not directly connected with the maintenance of law and order, and national security.
  13. ↑ No. of households – 25 crore (125 crore population [Census 2011] / 5 [size of a household as per GoI])
  14. ↑ Shah A, Economic Times "Why real estate is a bad long-term investment"
  15. ↑ as disclose by railways, however, there exists a larger unfound inventory requiring a thorough audit
  16. ↑ Information on the total land held by Air India is not known, however its approximate value is made available in the financial reports
  17. ↑ Supra Note 4.
  18. ↑ Ibid. page 2.
  19. ↑ "Gas Reserves in Assam and Other North-Eastern States." Press Information Bureau Government of India Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. August 1, 2018. http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=181318..
  20. ↑ Kundu Sridhar,[http://www.cbgaindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Estimated-Value-of-Government-Owned-Natural-Resources-in-India.pdf "A Note on the Estimated Value of Government-Owned Natural Resources in India "], CBGA, 2014, Table III
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