Lok Sabha Question No. 2492 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-15
Subject: Ongoing/Pending Railway Projects in Bihar
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dulal Chandra Goswami, Mahabali Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2492 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2023

## ONGOING/PENDING RAILWAY PROJECTS IN BIHAR

†2492. SHRI DULAL CHANDRA GOSWAMI: SHRI MAHABALI SINGH:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  present  status  of  ongoing  and pending  railway  projects  in the  country  including  Bihar,  State/zone-wise  along  with  the funds allocated/utilised during the last five years;
- (b) whether many ongoing railway projects are getting delayed due to which the cost is increasing drastically;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the details of the estimated amount required for completion of these projects, State/zone-wise and the details of amount spent so far on these projects;
- (e) the status of land acquisition and the target date of completion of all ongoing projects in Bihar;
- (f) the status of the projects which have not been started yet and the time by which the work on the said projects is likely to be started; and
- (g) whether any new proposals have been received from the State Government  for  new  Railway  Projects  and  if  so,  the  details thereof along with the status of these proposals?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (g)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2492 BY  SHRI DULAL CHANDRA GOSWAMI AND SHRI MAHABALI SINGH TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA  ON  15.03.2023  REGARDING  ONGOING/PEDNING  RAILWAY PROJECTS IN BIHAR

(a): The  Railway  projects  are  sanctioned/executed  Zonal  Railway wise and not State-wise as the Railways' projects may spans across State  boundaries.  As  on  01.04.2022,  across  Indian  Railways,  452 Railway Infrastructure projects (183 New Line, 42 Gauge Conversion and 227 Doubling) of total length 49,323 Km, costing approx. ` 7.33 lakh crore are in different stages of planning/sanction/execution, out of which, 11,518  Km  length  has  been  commissioned  and  an expenditure  of  approx. ` 2.35  lakh  crore  has  been  incurred  upto March, 2022.

Zone-wise  details  of  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 (RSP).

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 New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling Projects across Indian Railways during 2014-19 increased  to ` 26,026  crore  per  year  from ` 11,527  crore  per  year during  2009-14  (126%  more  than  average  annual  budget  allocation during 2009-14).

The Annual Budget allocation increased to ` 39,836 crore in Financial Year 2019-20 (246% more  than  Average  Annual  Budget  Allocation during  2009-14), ` 43,626  crore    in  Financial  Year  2020-21  (278% more  than  the  Average  Annual  Budget  allocation  during  2009-14), ` 56,716 crore for Financial year 2021-22 (392% more than Average Annual  Budget  Allocation  during  2009-14)  and ` 67,001  crore  in Financial  Year  2022-23  (481%  more  than  average  annual  budget allocation  of  2009-14).  For  Financial  Year  2023-24,  highest  ever budget outlay of ` 67,199 crore has been proposed for these works, which is 483 % more than Average Annual Budget allocation of 200914 ( ` 11527 Crore/Year).

During  2014-22,  across  Indian  Railway,  20,628  km  sections  (3,970 km New Line, 5,507 km Gauge Conversion and 11,151 km Doubling) has  been  commissioned  at  an  average  of  2,579  km/year  which  is 70%  more  than  the  average  commissioning  during  2009-14  (1,520 km/year).

## BIHAR

Railway  Infrastructure  Projects  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of Bihar  are  covered  under  East  Central  Railway  (ECR),  Eastern Railway (ER), North Eastern Railway (NER) and Northeast Frontier

Railway (NFR) Zones of Indian Railways.

As  on  01.04.2022,  52  Railway  Infrastructure  projects  (32  New Lines,  04  Gauge  Conversion  and  16  Doublings),  of  total  length  of 66,597 crore,  falling fully/partly in the State of

5,004 Km,  costing ₹

Bihar are in different stages of planning/approval/execution, out of which 1,240 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure 21,038  crore  has  been  incurred  upto  March,  2022.  These of ₹ includes:-

-  32 New Line Projects, covering a length of 2,875 km at a cost of ₹ 44,692 crore, out of which 435Km length has been commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ₹ 9,775  crore  have  been incurred upto March, 2022.
-  4 Gauge Conversion Projects, covering a length of 849 km at a cost  of ₹ 5,591  crore,  out  of  which  682Km  length  has  been commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ₹ 4,219  crore  have  been incurred upto March, 2022.
-  16 Doubling Projects, covering a length of 1,280 km at a cost of ₹ 16,314 crore, out of which 122Km length has been commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ₹ 7,044  crore  have  been incurred upto March, 2022.

Average  Annual  Budget  allocation  for  Infrastructure  projects  & safety works, falling fully/ partly in  State of Bihar, during 2014-19 has been enhanced to ₹ 3,061 crore per year from ₹ 1,132 crore per year  during  2009-14,  which  is  170%  more  than  Average  Annual Budget allocation during 2009-14.

These allocations have been increased to ₹ 4,093 crore in Financial Year 2019-20 (262% more than the Average Annual Budget allocation  of  2009 - 14), ₹ 4,489  crore  in  Financial  Year  2020-21 ..P/4

(297% more than the Average Annual Budget allocation of 2009-14), ₹ 5,560  crore  in  Financial  Year  2021-22  (391%  more  than  the Average  Annual  Budget  Outlay  of  2009-14)  and ₹ 6,606  crore  in Financial  Year  2022-23  (484%  more  than  the  Average  Annual Budget Outlay of 2009-14). For Financial Year 2023-24, highest ever Budget outlay of ₹ 8505 crore has been proposed for these projects, which is 651% more than the Average Annual Budget allocation of 2009-14 ( ₹ 1,132 crore per year).

During 2014-22, 1096 Km length (317 Km New Lines, 425 Km Gauge Conversion and 354 Km Doubling) falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar  have  been  commissioned  at  an  average  rate  137  Km/year, which is 115% more than the commissioning during 2009-14 (63.6 Km/year).

(b) to (g):   Completion  of  any  Railway  project/s  depends on various factors like cooperation of State Governments in quick land acquisition,  forestry  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 these constraints, Railways are making all efforts to complete these projects at the earliest.

Land acquisition  for  the  ongoing  projects  have  been  taken  up  and works taken up wherever land has been acquired.

Sanctioning  of  projects  is  a  continuous  and  dynamic  process. Proposals  are  received  on  the  basis  of  demands  raised  by  State Governments,  Central  Ministries,  Members  of  Parliament,  other public representatives and Railway's own requirements. As receipt of such proposals/suggestions is a continuous and dynamic process, centralized compendium of such requests is not maintained. Projects  are  taken  up  on  the  basis  of  remunerativeness,  last  mile connectivity,  missing  links  and  alternate  routes,  augmentation  of congested/saturated lines, socio-economic consideration etc. depending upon liabilities of ongoing projects, overall availability of funds and competing demands.

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