opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 1490 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Cheaper Domestic Flights
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Rajan Baburao  Vichare

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1490

(To be answered on the 15 th  December 2022)

## CHEAPER DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

## 1490. SHRI RAJAN VICHARE

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government has formulated any scheme to facilitate cheaper air journeys to the general public and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) if not, the steps proposed to be taken by the Government for the operation of cheaper domestic flights; (c) the names of the States where the Government proposes to implement this system; and
- (d) the details of the rates likely to be made applicable, State-wise?

## ANSWER

Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION

(GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD))

- (a) to (d): Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on 21.10.2016 to enhance regional air connectivity across the country from unserved and underserved airports in the country and making air travel affordable to the masses. Under the UDAN Scheme, the Government has targeted an indicative airfare at Rs. 2500 for a distance of 500 km to 600 km per RCS seat under Regional Connectivity routes (equivalent to one-hour flight). Selected Airline Operator is required to provide upto 50% of the aircraft seating capacity or maximum 40 seats, whichever is lower, as Seats in a fixed wing aircraft under UDAN. This airfare is subject to indexation as per the formula specified in the UDAN Scheme document. UDAN is a market driven scheme. Interested airlines based on their assessment of demand on particular routes, submit their proposals at the time of bidding under UDAN.
- *****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1489 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Laying of Foundation Stones for Road Projects
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Manish Tewari

## be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  highway  projects/road  upgradation  projects  sanctioned between May, 2018 to November, 2022;
- (b) the details of such projects for which foundation stones were laid;
- (c)  the  details  of  such  projects  in  which  foundation  stones  were  laid  but  the project was shelved along with reasons therefor;
- (d) the reasons for laying of foundation stones when the final decision/Detailed Project Report (DPR) regarding the project is not finalised; and
- (e) the average cost/funds spent on laying of foundation stones by the Ministry?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a)  to  (c)  Under  the  aegis  of  this  Ministry,  2154  projects  for  development  of National Highways (NHs) have been sanctioned / approved for award in between May, 2018 to November, 2022, of which foundation stone laying ceremony were organized  for  projects  with  aggregated  project  cost  of  Rs.  4,54,185  crore,  of which 9 projects were terminated or foreclosed after laying of foundation stone due to various reasons like unavailability of encumbrance free land, NGT order, non-achievement of financial closure by the concessionaire, financial crunch of concessionaire, etc. These projects either have been re-awarded or planned for re-award.
- (d)  The  projects  for  which  foundation  stones  were  laid,  were  sanctioned  / approved for award after going through laid down procedure of appraisal and approval, for which finalization of Detailed Project Report (DPR) is pre-requisite.
- (e)  Based  on  the  expenditure  incurred  for  organizing  foundation  stone  laying ceremony, average cost/funds spent on laying of foundation stone ceremony for these projects is about 0.018% of total project cost.

*****

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1489 ANSWERED ON 15 th  DECEMBER, 2022

## LAYING OF FOUNDATION STONES FOR ROAD PROJECTS

## 1489. SHRI MANISH TEWARI:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री
Lok Sabha Question No. 1487 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Houses Sanctioned under ARHCs
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Vincent H Pala

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1487

TO BE ANSWERED ON DECEMBER 15, 2022

## HOUSES SANCTIONED UNDER ARHCs

## NO. 1487.   SHRI VINCENT H. PALA:

Will  the  Minister  of  HOUSING  AND  URBAN  AFFAIRS  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether  the  number  of  houses  sanctioned  under  the  Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) be able to fix the demand-supply mismatch and meet the goal of 'Housing for All';
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the details of the rental prices set by the Government has to avoid exploitation of the tenants and meet affordability criteria;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  considering  taxing  vacant  houses  to nudge landlords to put their houses on rent as a supplement to the new construction; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## (SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE)

(a) & (b): Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) was launched as a sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) to provide affordable rental accommodation for the urban migrants/poor near their workplace. However, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is implementing PMAY-U, under the vision of Housing for All since 2015 to provide pucca house to the eligible urban families across the country. Against the validated demand of 1.12 crore houses, as on 28.11.2022, 1.20 crore houses have been sanctioned by the Ministry based on the project  proposals  submitted  by  States/Union  Territories  (UTs),  out  of which 1.06 crore have been grounded and more than 64 lakh have been completed/delivered to the beneficiaries as on 28.11.2022.

(c): In order to avoid exploitation of tenants, the Operational Guidelines of  ARHCs  prescribes  that  the  initial  affordable  rent  of  ARHCs  will  be fixed by the local authority based on a local survey. Subsequently, rent will be enhanced biennially by 8%, subject to maximum funding of 20% in aggregate, over a period of 5 years, effective from the date of signing the  contract.  Same  mechanism  shall  be  followed  over  the  entire concession period i.e. 25 years.

(d) & (e): No, Sir. There is no such proposal under consideration.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1486 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: National Merit-cum-Means Scholarship in Odisha
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Pinaki Misra

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1486 ANSWERED ON 15.12.2022

## NATIONAL MERIT-CUM-MEANS SCHOLARSHIP IN ODISHA

1486. SHRI PINAKI MISRA:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  National  Merit-cum-Means  Scholarship  is  being  implemented  in  the  State  of Odisha and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether all applications made within the State quota of Odisha have been approved for direct benefit transfer under the Scheme between 2017-22 and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the scholarship amount has been transferred to all beneficiaries;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e)  the  details  of  the  number  of  applications  made  within  the  State  quota  of  Odisha  and  the number of actual beneficiaries in Odisha under the scheme between 2017-22?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (e): The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements the Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme all  over  the  country  including  Odisha  to  award  scholarships  to  the  students  pursuing technical and professional courses at under graduate and post graduate levels. The annual quota, for fresh scholarships, for Odisha under the Scheme is 544, besides renewal which are disbursed to all eligible beneficiaries. 6,654 applications were verified by the State during 2017-18 to 202122  out  of  which  2,633  were  eligible  for  payment.  2,622  applicants  have  been  disbursed  the scholarship  through  the  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  (DBT)  mode  and  the  DBT  payment  of  the remaining 11 candidates were rejected.
Lok Sabha Question No. 1485 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Contribution of MSMEs in GDP
Ministry: MICRO,SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Asked by: Rajendra Dhedya  Gavit

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1485 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2022

## CONTRIBUTION OF MSMEs IN GDP

1485. SHRI RAJENDRA DHEDYA GAVIT:

Will the Minister of MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  decided  to  increase  the  contribution  of  Micro,  Small  and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in GDP from existing thirty per cent to forty per cent and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has prepared any roadmap to achieve the target in near future;
- (c) if so, whether the Government proposes to offer special incentive to MSME sector to ensure the expected growth; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SHRI BHANU PRATAP SINGH VERMA)

- (a): As per the information received from Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the  share  of  Gross  Value  Added  (GVA)  of  MSME  sector  in  all  India  Gross  Domestic  Product (GDP)  during  2020-21  was  26.83%.  The  Ministry  of  Micro,  Small  and  Medium  Enterprises implements various schemes for the growth and development of MSME sector in the country and is continuously striving towards achieving higher share of the GDP.
- (b) to (d): Ministry of MSME implements various schemes/programmes for the promotion and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector across the country which inter  alia  include  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP),  Micro  and Small Enterprises-Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP), Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) and A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE).

The Government has taken a number of recent initiatives to support MSMEs in the country, which inter alia include:

- i. Rs. 5 lakh crore Collateral Free Automatic Loans for business, including MSMEs.
- ii. Rs. 50,000 crore equity infusion through MSME Self-Reliant India Fund.
- iii. New revised criteria for classification of MSMEs.
- iv. No global tenders for procurement up to Rs. 200 crores.
- v. 'Udyam Registration' for MSMEs, for Ease of Doing Business.
- vi. Launching  of  an  online  Portal  'Champions'  in  June,  2020  to  cover  many  aspects  of  egovernance including grievance redress and handholding of MSMEs.
- vii. Inclusion of Retail and Wholesale trades as MSMEs w.e.f. 02 nd July, 2021.
- viii. Non-tax benefits extended for 3 years in case of an upward change in status of MSMEs.

***
Lok Sabha Question No. 1479 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Bharatmala Pariyojana
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Sisir Kumar Adhikari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1479 ANSWERED ON 15 TH  DECEMBER, 2022

## BHARATMALA PARIYOJANA

## 1479. SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

## be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  targets  of  completing 24,800 km of road and highway projects under Bhartmala Pariyojna Phase-1, including coastal and port connectivity roads by the year 2021-22 have been delayed till the year 2026 and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether it is a fact that estimated cost of these projects has also escalated by 54 per cent and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the  present  status  of  economic  corridor  and  coastal  and  port connectivity roads in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a)  &  (b)     Bharatmala  Pariyojana  Phase-I  comprising  of  24,800  km.  of various  categories  of  roads  and  about  10,000  km.  of  residual  NHDP projects has been approved at a cost of Rs. 5.35 Lakh Crore. As of now about  23,500  km.  has  been  awarded  and  about  11,400  km.  has  been completed. The balance projects are targeted for award by Financial Year 2024-25.

(c) The status of Economic Corridors and Coastal & Port Connectivity roads planned under Phase-I of Bharatmala Pariyojana is as under:-

| Corridor Classification           | Length under Phase-I of BM (km.)   | Awarded Length (km.)   | Constructed Length (km.)   |
|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------|----------------------------|
| Economic Corridors                | 12,002                             | 7,029                  | 3,019                      |
| Coastal & Port Connectivity roads | 1,079                              | 269                    | 90                         |
Lok Sabha Question No. 1475 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Gram Ujala Programme
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Keshari Devi Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1475 ANSWERED ON 15.12.2022

## GRAM UJALA PROGRAMME

†1475. SHRIMATI KESHARI DEVI PATEL:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the States where Gram Ujala Programme has been implemented/proposed to be implemented;

(b) whether the Prayagraj region of Uttar Pradesh has been identified for implementation of first phase of Gram Ujala Programme;

(c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  outcomes  in  this  regard  especially  in  Uttar Pradesh;

- (d) the steps taken/being taken to create awareness about the said programme among the beneficiaries;

(e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  implement  second  phase  of  Gram  Ujala programme;

- (f) if so, the details thereof; and

(g) the time by which it is likely to be started?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY (SHRI R.K. SINGH)

(a) : Gram Ujala scheme has been implemented by Convergence Energy Services Limited  (CESL),  in  the  States  of  Bihar,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Andhra  Pradesh,  Karnataka  and Telengana on Pilot basis.

(b) & (c) : Prayagraj area was identified in the first phase for implementation of Gram Ujala  Programme.  A  total  number  of  46,34,219  LEDs  bulbs were  distributed  in  Uttar Pradesh, out of which 1,36,375 number of LEDs bulbs were distributed in Prayagraj under this programme.

- (d) : Various  awareness  activities  are  being  done  by  CESL/authorized  agencies for the usage of LED bulbs amongst beneficiaries such as - local /national media outreach, information  dissemination  through  radio/TV  and  other  modes  of  media  like banners, posters, leaflets etc.

(e) to (g) : Expansion  of  Gram  Ujala  by  CESL  would  depend  upon  the  success  of  the Pilot phase in terms of financial viability.

- ************
Lok Sabha Question No. 1474 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Expenditure on Roads
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Gautham Sigamani Pon

be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  public  expenditure  on  roads  has increased 4.5 times and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is also true that with the said increase on spending on roads, the total road length in the country has also increased by 17 per cent  from  54.02  lakh  to  63.31  lakh  kilometers  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government is aware that the pace of construction of State highways has declined in comparison to the pace of construction of National Highways and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a)  to  (c)    The  Ministry  is  primarily  responsible  for  development  and maintenance of National Highways (NHs). Funds released / expenditure incurred by the Ministry has increased from Rs. 32,702 Crores in 201415 to Rs. 2,09,312 Crores in 2021-22; these include expenditure met from funds raised through monetization of NHs including Project based financing and Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources (IEBR).

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1474 ANSWERED ON 15 TH  DECEMBER, 2022

## EXPENDITURE ON ROADS

1474.  DR. PON GAUTHAM SIGAMANI:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

The  total  NHs  length  in  the  country  has  increased  from  about 91,287 km in 2014 to about 1,44,634 km at present. Total road length in the  country  increased  from  about  54,72,144  km  in  2014-15  to  about 63,31,757 km in 2018-19. About 10,457 km length of NHs were constructed during 2021-22 as against 4,410 km length of NHs constructed during 2014-15. Development and maintenance of State Highways (SHs) are the responsibility of the State Governments.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1473 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Solar Parks
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel, Ratansinh Magansinh Rathod

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1473

ANSWERED ON 15.12.2022

## SOLAR PARKS

## 1473. SHRI PATEL HASMUKHBHAI SOMABHAI SHRI RATANSINH MAGANSINH RATHOD

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is taking steps to enhance the solar parks in country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the quantum of funds allocated, released and spent for the development of solar parks in Gujarat during the last three years and the current year, district-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI R.K. SINGH)

- (a) & (b) Government is implementing a Scheme for development of solar parks with a target for  setting up solar parks of 40,000 MW capacity. So far, 57 solar parks in 13 States with 39,285 MW aggregate capacity have been sanctioned in the country and solar power projects of 10,027 MW have been commissioned.
- (c) 5 Solar Parks of aggregate capacity of 10,325 MW have been approved in Gujarat during the last three years and current year. The estimated amount of funds allocated for these Solar Parks is around Rs. 1754 crore. The funds are released based on the milestones achieved as per guidelines of the scheme. Funds of around Rs.180 Crore are under release for these parks.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1469 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Smart Cities Mission
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Mahesh Sahoo

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1469

## TO BE ANSWERED ON DECEMBER 15, 2022

## SMART CITIES MISSION

NO. 1469  SHRI MAHESH SAHOO:

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)    the  role  played  by  the  Smart  Cities  Mission  (SCM)  in  implementing various measures during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure ease of living for citizens;
- (b)  whether the Union Government is satisfied with the role played by SCM and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)  the status of the progress of various projects being implemented under SCM  and  the  extent  to  which  targets  of  various  projects  under  the mission have suffered due to Covid-19 pandemic?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE)

- (a) to (c) : Government of India launched Smart Cities Mission (SCM) on 25 June  2015.    100  Smart  Cities  have  been  selected  through  4  rounds  of competition from January 2016 to June 2018.

At  the  onset  of  COVID-19  pandemic,  Smart  Cities  implemented  locally contextual innovations/interventions to mitigate the negative consequences of the pandemic. COVID Response in Smart Cities can be classified in four major quadrants viz., Information, Communication, Management and Preparedness. Integrated Command and Control Centres were repurposed as war rooms gathering aggregate information on caseload, beds, logistics,

oxygen  availability  etc.  Multi-channel  two-way  communication  between stakeholders  was  made  possible.  Management  strategy  aimed  at  creation and  effective  deployment  of  health  infrastructure.    Smart  cities  also  used predictive capabilities to forecast disease spread and needs into the future for effective preparedness. Details of such steps taken by these Cities  are also  available  in  the  document  'The  Smart  Responses  to  COVID-19:  A Documentation  of  Innovative  Actions  by  India's  Smart  Cities  during  the Pandemic' which is available on smartnet.niua.org.

As on 2 December 2022, Government of India has released ₹ 34,399 crore for 100 Smart Cities, out of which ₹ 30,400 crore (88%) has been utilized.  Work orders have been issued in 7,738 projects worth around  ₹ 1,81,112 crore of which 4,987 projects worth ₹ 92,439 crore have been completed.  The period of implementation of SCM has been extended upto June 2023 and all Smart Cities are expected to complete their projects within the stipulated time.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1465 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Airport in Gujarat
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1465 (To be answered on the 15 th  December 2022)

## AIRPORT IN GUJARAT

## 1465. SHRI JASWANT SINGH BHABHOR

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government proposes to set up an airport in the smart city of Dahod, Gujarat where growing commercial activity has increased air traffic and if

so, the details thereof; and

- (b) whether any study was conducted for setting up airport at this place and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD))

- (a) & (b): Government of India (GoI) has formulated a Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy, 2008 for development of new Greenfield airports in the country. As per the policy, if any developer including the State Government desires to develop an airport, they are required to identify a suitable site and get the Pre-feasibility Study conducted for construction of airport and submit a proposal to the Central Government for 'Site-Clearance' followed by 'In-Principle' approval.

Government of India (GoI) has not received any proposal under Greenfield Airports  Policy  from  State  Government  of  Gujarat  (GoG)  or  any  Airport Developer for construction of a Greenfield Airport at Dahod, Gujarat and hence no study has been conducted by Ministry of Civil Aviation for setting up of an airport at Dahod, Gujarat.

- *****