Land Monetization Promises & Pitfalls

A mega land monetisation plan through sale of surplus government and PSUs’ land is a part of Modi government’s ambitious National Monetisation Programme (NMP) to generate Rs 6 lakh crore of revenue over FY 2022-25. The success of this programme will depend upon how it leverages the opportunities and how it tackles the challenges.
Vinod Behl
The Land Monetisation Programme presents a huge opportunity. The Railways has about one lakh acres of vacant land. There is 32,000 acres of unused defence land following closure of military farms and abandoned airfields. About 20,000 acres of central salt pan land is also there for monetisation. Then, the CPSEs, mostly closed PSU units, have 5000 acres of land for monetisation purposes.