Lok Sabha Question No. 3631 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-17
Subject: Cost overrun Projects
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Chirag Paswan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3631 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.03.2021

## COST OVERRUN PROJECTS

†3631. SHRI CHIRAG KUMAR PASWAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been delay in completing several under construction  railway  projects    resulting  in  considerable  cost overrun;
- (b) if  so,  the  zone-wise  details  thereof  along  with  the  reasons  for delay in completion;
- (c) the details of  the amount of funds spent on the said projects so far; and
- (d) the action being taken by the Government for early completion of the said projects so as to check further cost overrun?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMERCE & INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3631 BY SHRI CHIRAG KUMAR PASWAN TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  17.03.2021  REGARDING  COST OVERRUN PROJECTS

- (a) to (d): As on 01.04.2020, 513 Railway projects of 53,039 km length, costing approx. ` 7.5 lakh crore are in different stages of planning/sanction/execution,  out  of  which  10,013  km  length  has  been commissioned and an expenditure of ` 1.86 lakh crore has been incurred upto March, 2020. These include:-
- (i) 189  New  line  projects  of  21,343  km  length,  costing ` 4,04,853 crore, out of  which commissioning of 2,633 km length has been achieved and expenditure of ` 94,575 crore has been incurred upto March, 2020.
- (ii) 54 Gauge Conversion projects of 7,003 km length, costing ` 59,699 crore, out of  which commissioning of 3,733 km length has been achieved and expenditure of ` 23,405 crore has been incurred upto March, 2020.
- (iii) 270  Doubling  projects  of  24,693  km  length,  costing ` 2,85,324 crore, out of  which commissioning of 3,647 km length has been achieved and expenditure of ` 67,816 crore has been incurred upto March, 2020.

Project-wise  details  including  cost,  expenditure  incurred  and outlay are made 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) >  Pink  Book  (Year)  >  Railway-wise  Works,  Machinery  &  Rolling  Stock

Programme (RSP).

Completion of a Railway project(s) depends on various factors like expeditious 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 affect the completion time and cost of the project(s).

Various  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  for  expeditious implementation of rail projects include (i) prioritisation of projects  (ii) substantial  increase  in  allocation  of  funds  on  priority  projects  (iii) delegation of powers at field level (iv) close monitoring of progress of project at various levels and (v) regular follow up with State Governments and concerned authorities for expeditious land acquisition,  forestry  and  Wildlife  clearances  and  for  resolving  other issues pertaining to projects. This has resulted in substantial increase in pace of execution of projects from 2014 onwards. During the period 2014-2020, 15,350 km length (3,395 km of New Line, 4,401 km of Gauge Conversion  and  7,554  km  of  Doubling)  were  commissioned  at  an average  of  2558  km  per  year  which  is  68%  more  as  compared  to average commissioning of 1520 km per year during the period 2009-14.

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