Lok Sabha Question No. 186 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-02
Subject: Pending Railway Projects
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Sunil Kumar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 186

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2022

## PENDING RAILWAY PROJECTS

## 186.  SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Parliamentary Standing Committee has submitted a report recommending review of various pending railway projects at regular intervals to expedite the evacuation of coal and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the  recommendations  in  the  said  report  regarding  BarwadihChirmiri Rail Line Project and Chatra-Gaya New Railway Line;
- (c) whether  a  coordination  mechanism  has  been  developed  by  the Ministries of Railways, Coal and Joint Stakeholders for the said railway line projects;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether the Railways had written any letter to Coal India Limited regarding the aforesaid railway line projects;
- (f) if so, the dates on which Coal India Limited received letters from the Railways in this regard; and
- (g) whether Coal India Limited has sent any reply in this regard and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. Standing Committee  on  Coal  and  Steel had submitted  Report  No.  19  and  Report  No.  25  on  the  subject  'Coal

Conservation and Development of Infrastructure for Transportation of Coal  across  the  Country'.  The  Committee  has  recommended  that  'a coordination  mechanism  be  developed  between  the  Ministries  of Railways and Coal and also joint Stake Holders and they be apprised of the same.'

(c) to (g): Ministry of Railways along with Ministry of Coal monitor the progress of 14 coal projects which is being monitored at the level of Secretary/Coal,  Ministry  of  Coal  and  CRB  &  CEO/Railway  Board, Ministry  of  Railways  by  holding  regular  meetings.  The  new  line projects  of  Barwadih-Chirimiri  and  Chatra-Gaya  are  not  the  part  of these 14 coal projects.

Coal India Limited was approached in October 2012 for development  of  Barwadih  to  Ambikapur  Rail  project  jointly.  Reply  of Coal India Ltd. has not been received. Subsequent to identification of this  project  by  M/s  Chhattisgarh  Railway  Company  Limited  (CRCL),  a Joint Venture (JV) company of Ministry of Railways and Government of Chhattisgarh, State Govt. of Chattisgarh approached M/s South Eastern Coalfield Ltd. (SECL) for investment in Ambikapur- Barwadih New line project  in  September  2021.  Ministry  of  Railways  also  approached Ministry of Coal vide letter dated 18.11.2021 to consider investment in Barwadih-Ambikapur  project.  Ministry  of  Coal  has  replied  vide  letter dated 20.12.2021 that M/s SECL has shown its inability for investment in  the  above  project.  Chatra-Gaya  rail  line  (99  km)  project  was included  in  the  pink  book  in  year  2008-09  with  Gross  Budgetary support (GBS) funding.

*****