Lok Sabha Question No. 171 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-07
Subject: Ongoing/Pending Railway Projects in Karnataka
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shivkumar Chanabasappa Udasi, Gowdar Mallikarjunappa Siddeshwara

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 171 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.12.2022

## ONGOING/PENDING RAILWAY PROJECTS IN KARNATAKA

171.  SHRI SHIVAKUMAR C. UDASI: SHRI G.M. SIDDESHWAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has released funds for the completion of railway projects that have been  undertaken/ongoing and are pending in the State of Karnataka;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has come across an issue  of inordinate delay  in  releasing  of  funds  by  the  State  of  Karnataka  for  the ongoing railway projects;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to ensure the timely completion of these projects?

## 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.

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 171 BY SHRI SHIVAKUMAR C. UDASI AND SHRI  G.  M.  SIDDESHWAR  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 07.12.2022    REGARDING  ONGOING/PENDING  RAILWAY  PROJECTS  IN KARNATAKA

(a) & (b): Funds  are  allocated  Project-wise  and  not  State-wise  as  the Indian Railways' project(s) span across various State boundaries. However, for financial year  2022-23,  the  highest  ever  budget  outlay  of ` 6,091  crore  has  been  provided  for    infrastructure  and  safety  works falling fully/partly in Karnataka, which is 629% more than average annual budget outlay of 2009-14 ( ` 835 Cr./Yr.).

As  on  01.04.2022,  32  projects  (21  new  lines  and  11  doubling)  of total  length  4,330  Km,  costing ` 49,087  crore,  falling  fully/partly  in  the State of Karnataka are in different stages of planning/sanctioning/execution, out of which 1,305  Km length has been commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ` 16,258  crore  has  been  incurred upto March, 2022. These include:-

-  21  new  line  projects  of  total  length  2,583  Km,  costing ` 32,900 crore, out of which 319  Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ` 5,162  crore has been incurred upto March, 2022.
-  11  doubling  projects  of  total  length  1,747  Km,  costing ` 16,187 crore, out of which 986 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ` 11,096 crore has been incurred upto March, 2022.

Railway infrastructure project in Karnataka are covered by South Western Railway (SWR), Central Railway (CR), Southern Railway (SR) and South  Central  Railway  (SCR)  Railway.  Zone-wise  details  of  all  Railway projects  including  cost,  expenditure  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) >Rail  Budget/Pink  Book  (Year)>  Railway  wise  Works  Machinery  and Rolling Stock Programme.

Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in fund allocation for New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling Projects and commensurate  commissioning  of  Projects  in  Indian  Railways.  The Average  Annual  Budget  allocation  for  these  works  during  2014-19 increased to ` 2,702  crore  per  year  from ` 835  crore per  year  during 2009 -  14  (224%    more    than  average  annual  budget  allocation  during 2009-14).  The  Annual  Budget  allocation  increased  to ` 3,386  crore  in Financial Year 2019-20 (306% more than average annual budget allocation during 2009-14), ` 4,220 crore in Financial Year 2020-21 (405% more  than  the  Average  Annual  Budget  allocation  during  2009-14)  and ` 4,297 crore for Financial year 2021-22(415% more than average annual budget allocation during 2009-14). For Financial Year 2022-23, highestever budget outlay of ` 6,091 crore has been provided for these works, which is 629% more than average annual budget outlay of 2009-14.

(c) to (e): As  on  01.04.2022,  total  14  projects  (12  new  line  and  02 doubling) of total length 1674 Km,  costing ` 18,811 crore falling fully/partly in  the  State  of  Karnataka  on  cost  sharing  basis  with Government of Karnataka are under different stages of planning/approval/execution,  out  of  which  298  Km  length  has  been commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ` 4,711  crore  has  been  incurred upto March, 2022.

Railway is regularly following up with Government of Karnataka for deposition  of  their  due  cost  sharing  amounts  for  these  cost  sharing projects.

The  completion  of  any  Railway  project(s)  depends  on  various factors  like  deposition  of  cost  share  by  cost  sharing  authority  in  cost sharing  project(s),  quick  land  acquisition  by  State  Government,  forest clearance by officials of forest department, 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.    All  these  factors  affect  the completion time of the project(s). With above constraints, every effort is being made to execute the project(s) expeditiously.

*****