Lok Sabha Question No. 2369 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-21
Subject: Railway Line between Chatra to Gaya
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Sunil Kumar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2369 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2022

## RAILWAY LINE BETWEEN CHATRA TO GAYA

†2369. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is any proposal for laying of railway line from Chatra to Gaya;
- (b)  if  so,  the  time  by  which  this  railway  line  was  proposed  to  be completed along with the budget allocated so far;
- (c)  the  estimated  budget  required  to  complete  Chatra-Gaya  railway line at present along with the details thereof;
- (d) the current status of Chatra-Gaya railway line; and
- (e) the time  by  which  Chatra-Gaya  railway  line  is  likely to  be completed?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2369 BY SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 21.12.2022 REGARDING RAILWAY LINE BETWEEN CHATRA TO GAYA (a)  to  (e):  Yes,  Sir.  Railways  have  taken  up  construction  of  ChatraGaya (99.44 Km) new rail line project. This project was sanctioned in the  year  2008-09.  Latest  anticipated  cost  of  this  project  is ₹ 4,543 crore. So far, expenditure of ₹ 15.58 Cr. have been incurred upto March, 2022.  Land  acquisition  has  been  initiated  by  Railways  through  the State Govt. Earlier, execution of project had been kept in abeyance as land acquisition could not be completed. Now,  in  view  of  substantial  increase  in  coal  traffic  arising  out  of various mines in that area having potential of loading 80 rakes per day, Gaya-Chatra  new  line  project  has  been  considered  for  execution  on priority. To make optimum utilization of this rail line a Final Location Survey  for  Tori-Chatra-Kastha/Paraiya  (near  Gaya)  New  Line  section has also been taken up. Since  2014,  there  has  been  substantial  increase  in  Railway  Budget allocation and commensurate commissioning. Average annual Budget allocation for infrastructure and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of Jharkhand during 2014-19, has been enhanced to ₹ 2,089 crore per year from ₹ 457 crore per year during 2009-14, which is 357% more than average annual budget outlay of 2009-14. Budget outlay for these projects has been increased to ₹ 2,493 crore for financial year 2019-20 (446% more than average annual outlay of 2009-14), ₹ 3,221 crore for financial year 2020-21 (605% more than average annual budget outlay of  2009-14)  and ₹ 4,182  crore  for  financial  year  2021-22  (815%  more than  average  annual  budget  outlay  of  2009-14).  For  financial  year 2022-23, highest-ever budget outlay of ₹ 5,058 crore has been provided for these projects, which is 1007% more than average annual budget outlay of 2009-14.

During  2014-22,  911  Km  sections  (433  Km  New  Lines  and  478  Km Doubling)  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Jharkhand  have  been commissioned at an average rate of 113.88 Km/year, which is 98.4% more  than  the  average  annual  commissioning  during  2009-14  (57.4 Km/year). Completion  of  any  Railway  project/s  depends  on  various  factors  like quick  land  acquisition  by  State  Government,  forestry  clearance  by officials of forest department, deposition of State share by the State Government  in  cost  sharing  projects,  shifting  of  infringing  utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions of area, law and order situation in the area of project/s  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  of  the  project/s.  With  above  constraints,  every effort is being made to complete these projects at the earliest.

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