opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 3553 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Beach Sand Minerals
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Adala Prabhakara Reddy, Margani Bharat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3553

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2023

## Beach Sand Minerals

## 3553. SHRI ADALA PRABHAKARA REDDY: SHRI MARGANI BHARAT:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  about  the  potential  of  the  beach  sand minerals  in  generating  renewable  energy  and  the  ways  it  will  help in development of the nation;
- (b) If so, the steps taken by the Government to promote the mining of beach sand minerals;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  considering  the  proposal  of  Andhra  Pradesh Government  for  reserving  beach  sand  mineral  areas  in  favour  of  Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation; and
- (d) If so, the details and current status thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  PERSONNEL,  PUBLIC  GRIEVANCES  AND PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):

- (a)  Yes  Sir.  Government  is  aware  of  the  potential  of  beach  sand  minerals  in generating  renewable  energy  and  the  ways  it  will  help  in  development  of  the nation. In Beach Sand Minerals (BSM) ore, there occurs monazite, a prescribed substance as per Atomic Energy Act, 1962. Monazite contains Thorium, Uranium and Rare Earths (RE). After extraction of RE and its refining, Neodymium and Praseodymium are produced which find use in renewable energy.
- (b)  IREL (India) Ltd., a  CPSE under Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), has the capabilities  to  mine  BSM  ore,  concentrate  and  upgrade  the  same  to  produce monazite,  crack  monazite  to  extract  RE  and  further  refine  them  to  produce separated high pure RE.

A plant has been set up to process 10,000 tons of monazite which would result in  production  of  around  5,000  tons  of  refined  RE  Oxide  (REO).    However,  the existing mining leases cater to about 40% of the monazite feed requirement of the plant, resulting in production of about 2,000 tons of REO.

DAE  has  nominated  IREL  for  three  other  leases.  Execution  of  these  mining leases  by  the  State  Government  will  supplement  the  feed  requirement  of  the existing plant. Bhimunipatnam deposit of Visakhapatnam District and 1978.471 Ha

(c)  &  (d):  Yes  Sir.  Department  of  Atomic  Energy  (DAE)  has  already  nominated M/s.  APMDC  as  a  prospective  lessee  for  grant  of  mining  lease  for  90.15  Ha  in in Machilipatnam  deposit  of  Krishna  District.  Now,  Government  of  Andhra  Pradesh submitted a revised proposal for nominating M/s. APMDC as prospective lessee for two proposals (670.77Ha and 239.08 Ha) in Srikurmam deposit in Srikakulam district in lieu of above mentioned Machilipatnam deposit. The same is under examination in the Department.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3552 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Access of User Data at Charging Station
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Vishnu Dayal Ram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3552

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 22.03.2023

## ACCESS OF USER DATA AT CHARGING STATION

## 3552.  SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM:

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that charging station can access the user data of an electronic vehicle, such as charging behaviour, etc. and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is also a fact that such data can be utilised to determine a driver's office-work hours, location, battery life, etc. and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the Government plan for protecting the driver and electronic vehicle's data; and
- (d) the implications of any data breach that might occur in such cases?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

- (a):   For taking the services of an Electric Vehicle Charging Station, the consumer has to share details  like  profile  of  vehicle  owner  (Name  and  Mobile  number),  Category  of  vehicle,  model, registration number etc. for the first time. Hence, individual Charging stations have access to user data to identify, authorise, initiate and end a charging session.
- (b):    The  details  of  how  the  data  collected  while  using  EV  charging  stations  is  utilized  are currently not available. However, this data can be used as per the specific requirements and needs.
- (c) and (d): The data collected while using EV charging stations will be governed by laws and policies related to privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity.

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 3548 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Ghar Tak Fibre Yojana
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: P.P. Chaudhary, Anurag Sharma, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Ramapati Ram Tripathi, Brijbhushan Sharan Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3548

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 22.03.2023

## GHAR TAK FIBRE YOJANA

3548.  SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY:

SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:

SHRI PRATAP CHANDRA SARANGI:

DR. RAMAPATI RAM TRIPATHI:

SHRI BRIJBHUSHAN SHARAN SINGH:

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Ghar Tak Fibre Yojana is still ongoing and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of benefits being acquired from this scheme;
- (c) the details of total number of villages which have been connected with fibre till date, pan  India; and
- (d) the  details  of  villages  in  Rajasthan,  Uttar  Pradesh  and  Odisha  connected  with  fibre including Pali in Rajasthan, Gonda-Bahraich, Jhansi, Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh and Balasore district of Odisha?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

- (a): There is no such Program under Government of India for Ghar Tak Fibre Yojana.
- (b):  However,  the  Department  of  Telecommunications  (DoT)  /  Bharat  Broadband  Nigam Limited (BBNL), Government of India is implementing  the BharatNet project in a phased manner.  The  BharatNet  project  will  connect  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  /  Villages  with broadband in the country.  This  infrastructure  may  be  leased  to  Telecom  Service  Providers (TSPs) / Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for provision of internet connectivity in GPs / rural areas, including villages / Government institutions, schools and private areas.

The BharatNet network has been utilized for providing broadband connectivity in rural areas. As of February 2023, the status of utilization is as under:

No. of Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections commissioned: 2,53,160

No. of Wi-Fi Hotspots installed at GPs: 1,04,671

Dark Fibre leased: 59,831 Km

Leased Bandwidth: 2,14,814 Mbps

- (c):  The number of Gram Panchayats (GPs) which have been connected on fibre under the BharatNet project as of February 2023 is 1,84,554.
- (d): The details of GPs made service ready as of February 2023 are given below:

|   S.No. | State / District   | No. of GPs made service ready on fibre   |
|---------|--------------------|------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Rajasthan          | 8,740                                    |

|   2. | Uttar Pradesh                | 41,479   |
|------|------------------------------|----------|
|    3 | Odisha                       | 6,741    |
|    4 | Pali, Rajasthan              | 317      |
|    5 | Gonda, Uttar Pradesh         | 261      |
|    6 | Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh      | 333      |
|    7 | Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh        | 467      |
|    8 | Deoria, Uttar Pradesh        | 944      |
|    9 | Balasore (Baleshwar), Odisha | 360      |

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3546 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Industries in Gwalior
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNAL TRADE

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3546.

TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 22 ND  MARCH, 2023.

## INDUSTRIES IN GWALIOR

## 3546.  SHRI VIVEK NARAYAN SHEJWALKAR:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state: वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) whether the Government proposes to establish any big industry in Gwalior with a view to creating employment avenues for the youth of this area as Gwalior district  has immense potential for trade and it produces paddy, mustard and wheat in large quantities;
- (b) whether the Government has received any proposal from a private company for Gwalior district in this regard; and
- (c) if so, the details in this regard?

## ANSWER

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री ( श्री सोम प्रकाश ) THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI SOM PARKASH)

- (a) to (c): Sir,  Government  of  India  provides  support  for  promotion  of industrial  activities  across  the  country.  However,  setting  up  of industries is primarily under the prerogative of the State Governments. Government of India, through the Department for Promotion  of  Industry  &  Internal  Trade  and  other  Central Ministries/Departments  provides  an  enabling  eco-system  for the overall industrial development of the country. Government of Madhya Pradesh has informed that they attract investments in different sectors, including food processing through its Investment Promotion  Policy.  MP  Global  Investment  Summit, 2023  was  held  in January,  2023.  In  this  Summit,  for  Gwalior district,  175  intentions    to  invest  have  been  received  with  total proposed investment of Rs. 12,791crore.

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 3544 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Coal Exploration in the Country
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Annasaheb Shankar Jolle

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 3544 ANSWERED ON 22.03.2023

## Coal Exploration in the Country

## 3544.    SHRI ANNASAHEB SHANKAR JOLLE:

Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is taking any measures to expand coal exploration in the country, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (b) whether the Government has taken cognizance to the fact that India's coal reserves will be exhausted in a few decades, if so, the reaction of the Government thereto; and (c) the details of the steps being taken by the Government to address the issue?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a):    Apart from exploration taken up by Geological Survey of India, exploration of coal has been taken up under the Central Sector scheme (CSS) of 'Exploration of Coal and Lignite' and funding from National Mineral Exploration Trust.

(b) & (c): At per present rate of demand/consumption of coal, there is sufficient resources of coal in India which will not be exhausted in a few decades. Further, every year about 1 to 3 billion tonnes of new coal resources are being added through exploration to the Coal Inventory of India.

- ----------
Lok Sabha Question No. 3541 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Methodology for Measurement of Poverty
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Upendra Singh Rawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3541

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2023

## METHODOLOGY FOR MEASUREMENT OF POVERTY

3541.   SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR: SHRI UPENDRA SINGH RAWAT:

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has reviewed the methodology for measurement of poverty in the country during the last three years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the major findings/recommendations in this regard;
- (c) the follow-up action taken/to be taken by the Government on the findings/recommendations;
- (d) the details of assessment about the number and percentage of the poor in the country on the basis of the said methodology, State/UT-wise specially in the State of Uttar Pradesh;
- (e) the details of the review conducted during the last three years; and
- (f) the details of the outcome of the said review and the reaction of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS

## (RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

(a) to (f) A Task Force on Elimination of Poverty in India was constituted by NITI Aayog on 16th March,  2015  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Dr.  Arvind  Panagariya,  former  Vice  Chairman,  NITI Aayog. On the subject of estimation of poverty, the Task Force had recommended that the matter be considered in greater depth by a committee of experts.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3540 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Crude Steel Making Capacity
Ministry: STEEL
Asked by: Sisir Kumar Adhikari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF STEEL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3540 FOR ANSWER ON 22.03.2023

## CRUDE STEEL MAKING CAPACITY

3540.   SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

Will the Minister of STEEL be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  double  the  country's  annual  crude  steel making capacity to 300 mt from 150 mt at present and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether there has been a decrease in budget allocation for SAIL, NMDC, KIOCL for 2023-24;

(c) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and

(d) whether the Government has any proposal to raise the steel consumption rate of the  country  from  present  (-1.9)  to  zero  deficit  consumption  and  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

(SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF STEEL

(a)&(d): The mission of National Steel Policy (NSP), 2017 is to facilitate a conducive environment for steel  production  by  providing  policy  support  and  guidance  to  steel producers. NSP aims to achieve a steel production capacity of 300 MT by 2030 by enhancing domestic consumption to 160kg by 2030, produce high-quality steel and make  the  sector  globally  competitive.  In  this  regard,  Government  has  taken  the following steps:-

- i. Establishment of a Project Development Cell (PDC) which identifies projects to facilitate  new  investments, evaluating  the pipeline  of projects and taking  necessary steps to fast-track their implementation.

ii. Notification  of  Production-Linked  Incentive  (PLI)  Scheme  for  Specialty  Steel with an outlay of Rs. 6,322 Crore to promote the manufacturing of specialty steel with in the country.

iii. Participation  in  events  like  World  Expo  held  recently  in  Dubai,  interaction  of Ministerial delegation with domestic steel users in Japan, Korea, Russia to highlight the  expertise  of  the  steel  sector  in  India  and  showcase  an  array  of  investment opportunities as well as business potential in India's Steel sector.

iv. Make in India initiative and the PM Gati-shakti National Master Plan with further engagement with potential users, including from Railways, Defence, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Housing, Civil Aviation, Road Transport and Highways, Agriculture and Rural Development sectors to enhance the steel usage, overall demand for steel and investment in steel sector in the country.

v. Adjustments in Basic Custom Duty on steel products and raw materials along with calibration of trade remedial measures like Anti-dumping duty (ADD), Countervailing duty (CVD) on certain steel products to enhance competitiveness of India's steel sector.

(b)&(c): No budget allocation is being made by the Ministry of Steel for SAIL, NMDC and KIOCL in the FY 2023-24.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3536 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Electrification of Broad Gauge Lines in Gujarat
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shyal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3536 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2023

## ELECTRIFICATION OF BROAD GAUGE LINES IN GUJARAT

†3536. DR. BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has fixed any target for the complete electrification of broad gauge lines; (b)  if  so,  the  details  of  States  where  broad  gauge  lines  have  been  completely electrified at present; and (c) the time by which broad gauge lines in Gujarat are targeted to be electrified completely?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3536 BY DR. BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 22.03.2023 REGARDING ELECTRIFICATION OF BROAD GAUGE LINES IN GUJARAT

(a)  Yes,  Sir.  Indian  Railways  (IR)  is  working  on  a  plan  to  electrify  its  all  Broad Gauge (BG) network in mission mode.

(b)  Existing  BG  lines  falling  in  the  following  State/Union  Territory  have  been completely electrified at present.

|   SN | State/Union Territory   |
|------|-------------------------|
|    1 | Uttar Pradesh           |
|    2 | Madhya Pradesh          |
|    3 | Chhattisgarh            |
|    4 | Odisha                  |
|    5 | Jharkhand               |
|    6 | Uttarakhand             |
|    7 | Jammu & Kashmir         |
|    8 | Himachal Pradesh        |
|    9 | Haryana                 |
|   10 | Delhi                   |
|   11 | Chandigarh              |
|   12 | Puducherry              |

(c)  The  present  electrification  status  in  Gujarat  state  is  76%.  Further,  the completion of Electrification project depends upon various factors like clearances from the concerned Departments/State Governments/Central Ministries,  completion  of  Transmission  Line  works  by  State  Power  Utilities  and resolution of law & order issues during execution, which are beyond the control of  Ministry  of  Railways.  Therefore,  it  is  not  feasible  to  fix  time  lines  for completion of the project.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3534 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Waterlogging at Rail Under Bridges
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Rahul Kaswan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3534

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2023

## WATERLOGGING AT RAIL UNDER BRIDGES

†3534. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  Rail  Under  Bridges  (RUBs)  constructed under  North  West  Railways  get  submerged  with  water  during  rainy season thus resulting in blockage of village routes for 10-15 days and forcing villagers to take longer routes;
- (b) if so, the details thereof RUB-wise;
- (c) whether the Government is formulating any concrete action plan to resolve the problem of waterlogging, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has conducted any research to solve this major problem of RUBs near railway lines;
- (e) if so, the details thereof;
- (f)  whether  the  people  using  the  revenue  roads  have  to  cover  15/20 km. extra distance to cross the railway line under North West Railways due to lack of Railway crossings, RUBs and ROBs; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof, location-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  &  (b):    No,  Sir.  During  last  three  years  no  Road  Under  Bridge (RUB)/Subway was submerged continuously for more than 10 days in North Western Railway. (c) to (e): Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) under Ministry  of  Railways  has  studied  the  issue  in  detail  to  minimize problem  of  water  logging  in  Road  Under  Bridges  (RUBs)/  Limited Height Subways (LHS) and suggested remedial measures. Accordingly, Railways  have  taken  several  remedial  measures  to  mitigate  the problem  of  water  logging.  Adequate  drainage  arrangement  has  been made  as integral part of planning of new  Road  Under Bridge (RUB)/Subways.  In  existing  RUBs/subways,  remedial  measures  like water flow diversion to nearby bridge and nallahs/drains, provision of cover  shed  on  approach  roads,  provision  of  hump  at  entry  to  Road under  Bridge  (RUB),  provision  of  cross  drains,  sealing  of  joints  etc. have been made as per feasibility, suitability and site requirements. In addition,  pumping  arrangement  has  also  been  made  for  identified RUBs,  to  drain  out  water  expeditiously  in  case  of  emergency  and provision to stop road traffic  in exceptional/unusual rainfall situation for safety of road users.

- (f)  &  (g):  Provision  of  adequate  Road  network  is  the  responsibility  of State Govt.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3531 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Appointment in Boards
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: S. Muniswamy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3531 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 nd  MARCH,2023

## APPOINTMENT IN BOARDS

## 3531.   SHRI S. MUNISWAMY:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is full time Chairmen/Vice-Chairmen and members appointed for all the five commodity boards coming under the jurisdiction of the ministry of commerce and industry and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the posts of Chairmen/Vice-Chairmen and members to be nominated by the ministry are vacant as on date and if so, the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the time by which the tenure of the current nominated Chairman/Vice-Chairman of the tobacco board is to end?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h ¼Jherh vuqfiz;k iVsy½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) & (b): There are five Boards viz., Tea Board, Coffee Board, Rubber Board, Spices Board and Tobacco Board. The position with regards to the posts of Chairmen and Members of the Boards is given below:

- i. Posts of Chairmen of Tea Board, Coffee Board, Spices Board and Tobacco Board are currently vacant as on date. Chairman of Rubber Board is in position.
- ii. Excluding the post of Chairman, currently in Tea Board 29 members are in position, in Coffee Board 31 members are in position, in Rubber Board 25 members are in position, in Spices Board 10 members are in position, and in Tobacco Board 26 members are in position.

The Chairman/Vice-Chairman and members are appointed in the five Boards as per the Acts/Rules of the respective Boards. The appointment of Chairman and members is an ongoing process and is made as and when vacancies arise. Vice-Chairmen are not nominated by the Ministry and are elected by the respective Boards.

(c): The tenure of last Chairman of Tobacco Board ended recently on 11.03.2023. The tenure of current vice-Chairman of Tobacco Board is ending on 07.06.2023.

*****