Lok Sabha Question No. 1746 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-21
Subject: Timely Completion of Projects
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Rahul Ramesh Shewale

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1746 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.09.2020

## TIMELY COMPLETION OF PROJECTS

1746.  SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has made any assessment to ascertain the  progress  of  the  projects  like  laying  of  new  railway  lines, doubling, gauge conversion, electrification and signals in various States of the country during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (b) if so, the details and outcome thereof, zone-wise;
- (c) the funds allocated and released for timely completion of the said projects  during  the  said  period,  State/UT-wise  along  with  the number  of  projects  which  missed  the  deadline  so  far,  projectwise;
- (d) the  number  of  Special  Purpose  Vehicles  (SPVs)  formed  by  the Government for timely completion of the said projects along with achievements thereof, State/UT-wise; and
- (e) the  other  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  for  timely completion of the said projects across the country?

## 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  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1746 BY SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 21.09.2020 REGARDING TIMELY COMPLETION OF PROJECTS

(a) and (b): The progress of projects is assessed regularly. The status of commissioning of New lines/Gauge Conversion/Doubling projects (excluding  Dedicated  Freight  Corridors)  during  the  last  three  years  is summarized below:-

| Plan Head        |   2017-18 (Km) |   2018-19 (Km) | 2019-20 (Km)   |   2020-21 (upto Aug'20) (Km) |
|------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|------------------------------|
| New Lines        |            409 |            480 | 360            |                          150 |
| Gauge Conversion |            454 |            597 | 408            |                           76 |
| Doubling         |            999 |           1519 | 1458           |                          282 |
| Total            |           1862 |           2596 | 2226*          |                          508 |

The  progress  for  Electrification  projects  is  being  assessed  regularly and  progress  made  during  the  last  three  years  and  current  year  is summarised below:-

| Year-wise Electrification   | Year-wise Electrification   | Year-wise Electrification   | Year-wise Electrification      |
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
| 2017-18 (Route Km)          | 2018-19 (Route Km)          | 2019-20 (Route Km)          | 2020-21 upto Aug'20 (Route Km) |
| 4087                        | 5276                        | 4378*                       | 1042                           |

Likewise,  the  progress  for  provision  of  modernisation  of  Signalling System made  in the last three years and the current year is summarised below:-

| S/   |                                                     | Year- wise Modernisation   | Year- wise Modernisation   | Year- wise Modernisation   | Year- wise Modernisation   |
|------|-----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| No.  | Items                                               | 2017-18                    | 2018-19                    | 2019-20                    | 2020-21 (upto Aug'20)      |
| 1    | Electrical/Electronic Interlocked Station (Numbers) | 329                        | 393                        | 417                        | 78                         |
| 2    | Block Proving by Axle Counter (Block Sections).     | 379                        | 400                        | 375                        | 74                         |

|   3 | Level Crossing Gate interlocking (Numbers)    |   272 |   413 |   108 |   64 |
|-----|-----------------------------------------------|-------|-------|-------|------|
|   4 | Intermediate Block Signaling (Block Sections) |    31 |    49 |    40 |   12 |
|   5 | Automatic Signaling (Route Km)                |    52 |   147 |   279 |   52 |

*The reason for shortfall  in  progress  in  Year  2019-20  with  respect  to Year 2018-19 is primarily on account of COVID-19 pandemic during the last  quarter  of  2019-20,  which  was  the  peak  season  for  execution  of projects.  Some  of  the  Works  which  were  complete  could  not  be commissioned in the last quarter of 2019-20 are now being commissioned progressively in 2020-21.

(c):  The project-wise details including cost, expenditure and outlay are available in public domain on Indian Railways' website i.e. www.indianrailways.gov.in >Ministry  of  Railways  >Railway  Board >About Indian Railways >Railway Board Directorates >Finance (Budget) >Railways> Pink Book (year) >Railway-wise Works, Machinery & Rolling Stock Programme (RSP).

Completion of Railway project(s) depends on various factors like quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance by officials of forest  department,  shifting  of  infringing  utilities,  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, etc. and all these factors differ from project to project and affect  the  completion  time  of  the  project(s),  due  to  which  confirmed time frame for completion of project cannot be ascertained.

(d):  Two  Special  Purpose  Vehicles  (SPVs)  one  each  in  the  States  of Gujarat and Haryana have been formed by Railways during last 3 years namely:-

## State of Gujarat

(i) Bahucharaji Rail Corporation Limited (BRCL) in Gujarat for execution of Gauge Conversion project named Katosan road-Chanasma-Ranuj (65 Km) and execution of the work has been taken up by the SPV.

## State of Haryana

(ii) Haryana Orbital Rail Corporation Limited in Haryana for construction of  121  Km  long  double  line  track  between  Palwal  to  Sonipat  and  the work has been sanctioned by Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) in Sept'2020.

(e): Ministry of Railways has formulated a Participative Policy, 2012 to encourage the investment in developing rail connectivity by associating strategic partners and other investors. The policy defines five  Public  Private  Partnership  models  viz.  Non-Government  Railway (NGR),  Joint  Venture  (JV),  Customer  funded  model,  Build  Operate Transfer (BOT) and BOT annuity models.

Various  other  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  for  effective  and speedy implementation of rail projects in the country are (i) substantial increase  in  allocation  of  funds,  (ii) prioritisation of projects, (iii) delegation of powers at field level, (iv) nomination of nodal officers for improved  co-ordination  with  the  State  Governments  etc.  This  has resulted in substantial increase in pace of execution of projects from 2014 onwards.

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