Lok Sabha Question No. 3997 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-17
Subject: Khurda-Bolangir Railway Project
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Achyutananda Samanta

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3997 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.07.2019

## KHURDA-BOLANGIR RAILWAY PROJECT

## 3997. SHRI ACHYUTANANDA SAMANTA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been inordinate delay in completion of the railway project work from Khurda to Bolangir;
- (b) if  so,  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  accelerate  the said  project  and  if  so,  the  proposed  timeframe  within  which the  project  would  be  completed  and  if  not,  the  reasons therefor;
- (c) whether by an extension of the track by another 99 kms only, the entire district of Kandhamal would be connected with this railway network;
- (d) if so, whether the Government is planning for the same and if so, the details and plan chalked out for this purpose; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  plans  to  introduce  any  special  or express  trains  from  the  district  headquarters  in  its  route  to Kolkata and Visakhapatnam to boost tourism and revenue and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  3997  BY  SHRI  ACHYUTANANDA SAMANTA  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  17.07.2019 REGARDING KHURDA-BOLANGIR  RAILWAY  PROJECT.

(a) & (b):  Khurda Road-Bolangir New Line was sanctioned in 199495.  The total length of the project is 289 Km.   and the sanctioned cost of the project is ` 3798.80 crore.  So far Khurda Road-Nayagarh Town (65.38 Km) and Bolangir-Bhainsapalli (14.58 km) sections of the project  have  been  completed  and  commissioned.      The expenditure  incurred  upto  March  2019  is ` 1057.25  crore  and  an outlay of ` 350 crore has been given during  2019-20.  The work of balance land acquisition has been taken up and construction work has also been taken up wherever land is available.

The timely completion of any Railway project depends on various factors  like  quick  land  acquisition  by  State  Government,  forest clearance  by  officials  of  forest  department,  shifting  of  infringing utilities (both underground and over ground), statutory clearances from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions of area, law and order situation in the area of project site, number of  working  months  in  a  year  for  particular  project  site  due  to climatic considerations, cooperation and zeal of State Government for early completion of project, encountering unforeseen conditions like earthquake, flooding, excessive rains, strikes of labour, orders of Hon'ble Courts, situation and conditions  of working agencies/contractors etc.  All these factors affect  the  completion  cost  and  time  of  the  project.      Since complete  land  including  forest  clearances  has  not  been  handed over  to  Railway,  no  confirmed  time-frame  can  be  given  for completion of project at this stage.

In the overall interest of the nation and to ensure that projects are completed in time without cost overrun, lot of monitoring is done in Railways at various level (field level, divisional level, zonal level and Board level) and regular meetings are held with the officials of State  Government  and  concerned  authorities  to resolve the pending issues obstructing the progress of projects.

To ensure that projects are completed even before time, Railway has  adopted  the  concept  of  incentives  to  the  contractor  in  the form of bonus clause in contracts which will further enhance the pace of execution of projects.

(c)  &  (d):    At  present  there  is  no  proposal  to  extend  the  track  by another  99 Kms.

(e):      At  present,  there  is  no  proposal  to  introduce  any  special  or express  train  for  Kolkata  and  Visakhapatnam  through  BalangirKhurda  Road  section.    However,  presently  on  the  commissioned portions of the section viz. Khurda-Narayangarh Town and BalangirBhichhupali section, 2 pairs  of  passenger  train  services  each  are being operated.

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