Lok Sabha Question No. 2803 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-10
Subject: Electrified Railway Network in North East Region
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Pratima Bhoumik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2803 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.07.2019

## ELECTRIFIED RAILWAY NETWORK IN NORTH EAST REGION

## 2803. SHRIMATI PRATIMA BHOMIK:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government had set any target and length in kms. of the  new  broad  gauge  rail  network  as  well  as  electrification  of existing  network  in  the  North  East  States  of  Arunachal  Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura and Mizoram;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  during  the  last  three  years,  year  and State-wise;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  plans  to  run  electric  trains  in  the existing electrified tracks connecting these 7 States;
- (d) if so, the details in this regard;
- (e) the  details  of  difficulties  being  faced  by  the  Government  in achieving the target set; and
- (f) the steps taken/proposed to be taken to overcome these difficulties?

## ANSWER

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

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

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a)  TO  (f)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2803 BY SHRIMATI PRATIMA BHOMIK TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 10.07.2019 REGARDING ELECTRIFIED RAILWAY NETWORK IN NORTH EAST REGION

(a) & (b): As on 01.04.2019, 491 Railway projects including 189 New Lines, 55  Gauge  Conversion  and  247  Doubling  projects  are  in  different  stages  of planning/  approval/  execution  in  Indian  Railways.    The  total  length  of  these projects  is  48,861  km  costing  of ` 6.48  lakh  crore.  The  total  expenditure  on these projects upto March, 2019 is ` 1.43 lakh crore and length commissioned is 9113 km.

Assam and North Eastern Region:    As on 01.04.2019,  20 Railway projects including  14  New  Lines  and  6  Doubling  projects  falling  fully/partly  in  Assam and  North  Eastern  States,  are  in  different  stages  of  planning/  approval/ execution.  The total length of these projects is 1,783 km and costing ` 68,401 crores.  The total expenditure on these projects upto March, 2019 is ` 17,685 crores  and  length  commissioned  is  353  km.  An  outlay  of ` 3,553  crores  has been provided for these projects in Interim Budget 2019-20.

New  projects  included  in  Budget,  subject  to  requisite  Government approvals, in last 3 years i.e. 2016-17 to 2018-19 in North Eastern Region are as under:

| S.No.   | Name of project                   | State(s)   | Length (in km)   | Year of sanction   | Latest Anticipated Cost ( ` in Cr.)   | Interim budget outlay for 2019-20 ( ` in Cr.)   |
|---------|-----------------------------------|------------|------------------|--------------------|---------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| New     | Line                              |            |                  |                    |                                       |                                                 |
| 1       | Salona-Khumtai                    | Assam      | 99               | 2017-18            | 5958                                  | 0.10                                            |
| 2       | Sibsagar-Jorhat                   | Assam      | 62               | 2017-18            | 1296                                  | 0.10                                            |
| 3       | Tezpur-Silghat                    | Assam      | 25               | 2017-18            | 3439                                  | 0.10                                            |
|         | Doubling                          |            |                  |                    |                                       |                                                 |
| 1       | Saraighat Bridge                  | Assam      | 7                | 2017-18            | 1127                                  | 0.10                                            |
| 2       | Kamakhya-New Guwahati Quadrupling | Assam      | 10               | 2017-18            | 3062                                  | 0.10                                            |

Contd……..2

Electrification:        Ministry of Railways has planned to electrify balance Broad Gauge  (BG)  routes  of  Indian  Railways  by  2021-22  including  North  Eastern States of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura and Mizoram.

(c) & (d): At present, no rail route is electrified connecting these 7 States.

(e) & (f): 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 & over ground), statutory clearances from various authorities, geological & topographical conditions of area, law & order situation in the area of project site,  number  of  working  months  in  a  year  for  particular  project  site  due  to climatic considerations, 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 affects the completion time and cost of the project (which is finally worked out at the completion 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 levels (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 that are 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.

For important projects, capacity enhancement  projects, last mile connectivity  etc.  institutional  financing  has  been  done  by  arranging  loan  of ` 1.5 lakh crore, which has increased Railways'  capacity for committed fund provision for essential projects.

Until  and  unless  complete  encumbrance  free  land  is  handed  over  by State Government to the Railways, no confirmed time frame can be fixed for completion of project(s) at this stage.

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