Lok Sabha Question No. 4254 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-21
Subject: Railway Projects
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4254 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2018

## RAILWAY PROJECTS

†4254. SHRI  RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)    the zone-wise details of the rail projects approved during the last three years and the current year;
- (b) the  zone-wise  details  of  the  amount  of  funds  allocated  for the said projects and the amount spent in this regard;
- (c) the  zone-wise  total  number  of  projects  which  are  lagging behind the scheduled time along with the number of projects which are pending due to financial crunch;
- (d) whether any committee has been constituted to monitor the implementation of the said projects and find out the reasons for their delay;
- (e) if so, the details along with the outcome thereof; and
- (f) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Railways  to  generate additional budgetary assistance in this regard and to complete the said projects at the earliest?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) to (f):   A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (f)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  4254  BY  SHRI  RAMESH  CHANDER KAUSHIK  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA ON 21.03.2018 REGARDING RAILWAY PROJECTS

(a) & (b) : Zone wise detail of projects included in last three years and  the  current  year  i.e.  2014-15,  2015-16,  2016-17  &  2017-18 alongwith budget allocated to said project are as given below:

| Zonal Railway               |   Nos. of projects included in Budget in last three years & current year |   Amount of Budget allocated in last three year and current year ( ₹ Cr.) |
|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Central Railway             |                                                                       17 |                                                                      2716 |
| Eastern Railway             |                                                                        3 |                                                                       174 |
| East Central Railway        |                                                                       19 |                                                                      1534 |
| East Coast Railway          |                                                                       11 |                                                                      3141 |
| Northern Railway            |                                                                       17 |                                                                      1231 |
| North Central Railway       |                                                                       19 |                                                                      2010 |
| North Eastern Railway       |                                                                       19 |                                                                      1396 |
| North East Frontier Railway |                                                                        9 |                                                                       579 |
| North Western Railway       |                                                                        5 |                                                                       549 |
| Southern Railway            |                                                                        7 |                                                                       877 |
| South Central Railway       |                                                                       10 |                                                                      1429 |
| South Eastern Railway       |                                                                       10 |                                                                      1095 |
| South East Central Railway  |                                                                        8 |                                                                      2223 |
| South Western Railway       |                                                                        6 |                                                                      1721 |
| Western Railway             |                                                                       27 |                                                                      1308 |
| West Central Railway        |                                                                        9 |                                                                      1601 |

(c): Till 2013-14, due to overall limited availability of funds, most of the projects were not progressing satisfactory. Since 2014-15, based on physical progress of projects, last mile connectivity projects and projects  for  decongesting  the  existing  routes  have  been  given sufficient  funds.  For  this  purpose,  funds  for  capacity  enhancement projects  have  been  arranged  through  institutional  financing  by arranging loan with M/s Life Insurance Corporation of India Limited for ₹ 1.5  lakh  crore for assured funding of viable projects. Further, clearance  from  various  departments  of  State  Government  and Central Ministries like acquisitions of land, statutory clearance like forestry and wild life clearances, cutting trees, shifting of services, construction  of  road  over  bridges  and  road  under  bridges  by  road maintaining  agencies,  NOC  from  State  Irrigation  Department  and Power Corporations etc. Law and order issues like protests against compensation  to land losers, public agitation over alignment, extremism  and  naxalite  problems  etc.,  also  impact  the  pace  of implementation which are beyond the control of Ministry of Railways.

- (d) &  (e): To expedite the Railway Projects and to improve coordination with State Government for faster execution, Ministry of Railways  had  requested  the  State  Governments  for  nomination  of representatives of the States. Majority of the States have nominated their representatives to sort out different of mutual coordination and to monitor progress of Railway Projects in their respective State.

The representative / nominee from States have been holding regular involving alignment, land acquisition, forestry and wild life clearances, law & order problems, Road Over and Under Bridges, shifting of electrical of meetings with railway authorities on various issues lines, canal crossings, funding of projects, identification interested parties etc.

To strengthen the coordination mechanism, Nodal Officers have also been nominated from Zonal Railways for each State with a defined role of coordination with State Government.

In order to streamline information flow during meetings with dignitaries in Ministry of Railways, Nodal Officers in Railway Board for each State / UT have also been nominated to keep the updated status  of  various  Railway  related  demand  and  monitoring  the progress of various projects issues.

(f):   Ministry of Railways have embarked on cooperative federalism by actively involving States in Planning, Development, financing and implementation of Railway projects through formation of State Joint Venture. Besides, States and other stack holders are being invited to  participate  in  Railway  projects  to  ensure  expeditious  execution through  customer  funding  and  cost  sharing  and/or  providing  land free  of  cost  for  the  project.  Further,  institutional  financing  by arranging loan with M/s Life Insurance Corporation of India Limited for ₹ 1.5  lakh  crore  for  assured  funding  of  viable  projects  has increased  Railway's  capacity  for  committed  fund  provision  for essential projects.

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