Lok Sabha Question No. 2962 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-11
Subject: Galgalia-Araria Railway Line
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Mohammad Jawed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2962 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2020

## GALGALIA-ARARIA RAILWAY LINE

2962. DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the progress report and the current status of the Galgalia- Araria railway line in Bihar;
- (b) whether the construction work of the said railway line has started;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the time by which the said work is likely to be  completed  and  the  reasons  for  delay,  if  any,  in  completion  of  the projects; and
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor?

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

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

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2962 BY DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED TO BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  11.03.2020  REGARDING  GALGALIAARARIA RAILWAY LINE

(a) and (b):         Araria-Galgalia (111 km) new line project was sanctioned in 2006-07.  Latest anticipated cost of the project is ` 2145 crore. An expenditure of ` 932.38 crore has been incurred upto March, 2019.

Project  involves  acquisition  of  1336.113  Hectare  land,  out  of which, 941.95 Hectare land has been acquired.  Works of earthwork and minor  bridges  have  been  taken  up  in  Thakurganj-Powarkhali  section. Tenders for major bridges have been planned in available land.

-  PROJECTS  IN  BIHAR  (PROJECTS  FALLING  FULLY/PARTLY  IN  THE STATE OF BIHAR):
-  55 (New Line/Gauge Conversion/Doubling) Projects, costing ` 71,795 crore for 4,952 km length, falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar are under different stages of planning/approval/execution. These include:
- o 36 New Line Projects, covering a length of 3,008 km at a cost of ` 54,759  crore.  Out  of  which,  472  km  length  has  been commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ` 13,881  crore  has  been incurred upto March 2019.
- o 5 Gauge Conversion Projects, covering a length of 1,007 km at a cost  of ` 5,462  crore.  Out  of  which,  716  km  length  has  been commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ` 3,772  crore  has  been incurred upto March 2019.

- o 14 Doubling Projects, covering a length of 937 km at a cost of ` 11,574 crore. Out of which 68 km length has been commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ` 2,641  crore  has  been incurred upto March 2019.
-  BUDGET ALLOCATION (FOR THE PROJECTS FALLING FULLY/PARTLY IN THE STATE OF BIHAR):
-  Average annual Budget allocation on infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar, during 201419 has increased to ` 3,061 crore per year from ` 1,132 crore per year (during 2009-14).  Thus, the annual average Budget allocation during  2014-19  is  170%  more  as  compared  to  average  annual allocation of 2009-14.
-  Total  allocation  of  Budget  for  infrastructure  projects  and  safety works, falling fully/ partly in State of   Bihar, in 2019-20 is ` 4,093 crore,  which  is  262%  more  than  the  average  annual  Budget  of 2009-14 ( ` 1132 crore).
-  COMMISSIONING  OF  PROJECTS  (FALLING  FULLY/PARTLY  IN  THE STATE OF BIHAR):
-  During  2009-14,  318  km  (150  km  of  New  Line,  160  km  of  Gauge Conversion and 8 km of Doubling) falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar, have been commissioned at an average rate  of 64 km per year.
-  During  2014-19,  695  km  (240  km  of  New  Line,  280  km  Gauge Conversion and 175 km of Doubling) falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar, have been commissioned at an average rate 139 km per year, which is 118% more than commissioning during 2009-14.

(c) and (d):  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 conditions, encountering unforeseen conditions like earthquake, flooding, excessive  rains,  strikes  of  labour,  orders  of  Hon'ble  Courts,  situation and  conditions  of  working  agencies/contractors  etc.  and  all  these factors differs from project to project and affects the completion time of the project. As such, firm completion time of the project cannot be ascertained at this stage.

*****