Lok Sabha Question No. 2294 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-04
Subject: Railway Projects in Bihar
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Mohammad Jawed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2294 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.03.2020

## RAILWAY PROJECTS IN BIHAR

2294. DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  railway  projects  under  implementation  in  Bihar, district-wise including Kishanganj; and
- (b) the  details  of  current  status  of  those  projects  along  with  the estimated  cost,  expenditure  incurred  and  the  scheduled  date  of their completion?

ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) and (b):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  AND  (b)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2294 BY DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED TO BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  04.03.2020  REGARDING  RAILWAY PROJECTS IN BIHAR

(a)  and  (b):  Railway  projects  are  not  sanctioned  District-wise/Statewise.    Projects  are  sanctioned  and  executed  Zonal  Railway  wise. However, presently 55 projects (36 new lines, 05 gauge conversions and 14 doublings), costing ₹ 71,795 crore, covering a length of 4,952 Km,  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Bihar  including  in  Kishanganj area  are  in  different  stages  of  planning/approval/execution.  Out  of which 1,256 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹ 20,294  crore  has  been  incurred  upto  March'19.  An  outlay  of ₹ 2,403 crore  has  been  provided  for  the  current  financial  year  2019-20  for these projects. This includes:

-  36  new  lines  projects  covering  a  length  of  3,008  km,  costing ₹ 54,759 crore. Out of which, commissioning of 472 Km length has been achieved and an expenditure of ₹ 13,881 crore incurred upto March'19.      An  outlay  of ₹ 723  crore  has  been  provided  for  the current financial year for these projects.

The  above  projects  include  2  new  line  projects  falling  partly  in Kishanganj district, named as Araria-Galgalia (New line of 111 Km length costing ₹ 2145 crore) and Kishanganj-Jalalgarh (New line of 51  Km  length  costing ₹ 360  crore).  The  preliminary  works  have been taken up.

-  5  gauge  conversion  projects  covering  a  length  of  1,007  km, costing ₹ 5,462  crore.  Out  of  which,  commissioning  of  716  Km length  has  been  achieved  and  an  expenditure  of ₹ 3,772  crore incurred  upto  March'19.    An  outlay  of ₹ 305  crore  has  been provided for the current financial year for these projects.

-  14 doubling projects covering a length of 937 km, costing ₹ 11,574 crore.  Out  of  which,  commissioning  of  68  Km  length  has  been achieved and an expenditure of ₹ 2,641 crore incurred upto March'19.  An  outlay  of ₹ 1375  crore  has  been  provided  for  the current financial year for these projects.

The project-wise details including 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).

## Budget Allocation (for projects falling full/partly in State of Bihar):

- Average  annual  Budget  allocation  for  Infrastructure  projects  & safety works, falling fully/ partly in State of Bihar, has increased to 1132 crore per year (during 2009-14) which is 170% more than average annual budget
-  ₹ 3061 crore per year (during 2014-19) from ₹ outlay of 2009-14.
-  Total  allocation  of  Budget  for  infrastructure  projects  &  safety works,  falling  fully/  partly  in  State  of  Bihar,  in  2019-20  is ₹ 4093 crore, which is 262 % more than average annual budget outlay of 2009-14.

## Commissioning of projects:

-  During  2009-14,  318  Km  (150  Km  of  new  line,  160  km  of  Gauge conversion and 8 km of Doubling projects) have been commissioned in the state 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 projects) have been commissioned in the state at an average rate of 139 km per year.
-  Commissioning during 2014-19 is 118% more than the commissioning during 2009-14.

The  completion  of  Railway  projects  depend  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. All these factors vary from project to project and site to site and affect the completion time  and  cost  of  the  project,  which  is  finally  worked  out  at  the completion  stage.  As  such,  no  confirmed  time  line  can  be  given  for completion of these projects.

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