Lok Sabha Question No. 3677 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Survey of Seoni-Katangi rail lines
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dhal Singh Bisen

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3677 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2023

## SURVEY OF SEONI-KATANGI RAIL LINES

†3677. DR. DHAL SINGH BISEN :

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of new railway lines that have been completed along with  the  details  of  the  routes  found  feasible  after  survey  and the  time  by  which  the  work  is  likely  to  be  started  on  the  rail lines which have been found feasible;
- (b) whether any route has been surveyed in Seoni Balaghat district under Balaghat Parliamentary Constituency;
- (c) if so, whether it has been found feasible;
- (d) if so, the time by which its work is likely to be started;
- (e) whether  approval  has  been  given  for  the  survey  of  Seoni  to Katangi rail line, if so, the status of feasibility thereof;
- (f) whether  the  permission  for  its  detailed  survey  is  likely  to  be granted; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof?

## 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. 3677 BY DR. DHAL SINGH BISEN TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 22.03.2023 REGARDING SURVEY OF SEONI-KATANGI RAIL LINES

(a):   As  on  01.04.2022,  across  Indian  Railways,  183  New  line projects of total length 20,937 Km, costing approx. ` 4.0 lakh crore, are in different stages of planning/sanction/execution, out of which 2,831  Km  length  has  been  commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of approx. ` 1.13 lakh crore has been incurred upto March, 2022.

During the last three years and current year i.e. FY 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22  and  2022-23  (upto  February'2023),  2565  km  of  New  line sections have been commissioned across Indian Railways.

The 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).

In  the  last  three  years  i.e.  2019-20,  2020-21,  2021-22  and  in  the current Financial year 2022-23 (upto February'2023), 286 surveys for New  Lines  of  a  total  length  of  19,778  km  have  been  completed throughout  the  country  and  102  projects  (21  New  Line,  13  Gauge Conversion  and  68  Doubling)  of  total  length  3,177  km,  costing ` 43,959 crore have been sanctioned.

The completion of any Railway project(s) depends on various factors like quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance by officials  of  forest  department,  deposition  of  cost  share  by  State Government  in cost sharing  projects, priority of projects, shifting of ..P/2

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  and  cost  of  the project(s).  As  such  the  confirmed  time  frame  for  completion  of projects cannot be ascertained at this stage. With above constraints,  every  effort  is  being  made  to  execute  the  project(s) expeditiously.

(b) to (g):   New Railway line projects are surveyed/ sanctioned Zonal Railway wise and not district-wise/ Parliamentary constituency wise as the Railways' surveys/projects may span across state boundaries.

16  New  line  surveys  of  total  length  2679  km  falling  fully/partly  in Madhya Pradesh including  Seoni  and  Balaghat  districts  have  been completed in the last three years i.e. 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and in the current Financial year 2022-23. Survey for new line between Seoni and Katangi (92 km) was sanctioned in FY 2020-21. Survey of this line has been taken up.

New Rail line projects are taken up on the basis of remunerativeness, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes,  augmentation of congested/saturated lines, socioeconomic considerations etc. depending upon liabilities of ongoing projects,  overall  availability  of  funds  and  competing  demands. Sanction of Railway infrastructure  projects in areas  which are not connected by Railway network is a continuous and ongoing process in Indian Railways.

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