Lok Sabha Question No. 463 (STARRED), answered on 2023-04-05
Subject: New Railway Lines in Assam
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Kripanath Mallah

- (e) status?

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 463 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.04.2023

## NEW RAILWAY LINES IN ASSAM

- *463.  SHRI KRIPANATH MALLAH: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) the details of surveys conducted for laying of new railway lines in the State of Assam during the last three years, district-wise; (b) whether the Railways has set a target to link all the States of the North Eastern Region (NER) with broad gauge railway lines; (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  deadline  fixed  in  this regard; (d) the number of States for which approval has been accorded to provide such linkages and the number of States in which works have been started so far; and the amount of funds likely to be incurred for the development of the proposed rail network in the NER along with its present

## 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 STARRED QUESTION NO. 463 BY SHRI KRIPANATH MALLAH TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 05.04.2023 REGARDING NEW RAILWAY LINES IN ASSAM

(a) to (e): Survey for  construction  of  railway  line  is  taken  up  Zonal Railway-wise and not State-wise or District-wise as Indian Railways' projects may span across State/District boundaries. Total 11 new line surveys of  length  1251  km falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Assam have  been  completed  during  the  Financial  Years  2019-20,  2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022- 23 of which details are appended.

All North Eastern States except Sikkim i.e. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,  Manipur,  Meghalaya,  Mizoram,  Nagaland  and  Tripura  are connected  with Broad Gauge  network  of Indian Railways. For connectivity of Sikkim, Railway has taken up Sivok-Rangpo new line (44.39 km) project. Cost of the project is ₹ 8043 crore. Work on the project has been taken up. So far, an expenditure of ₹ 4868 crore has been  incurred.  Budget  outlay  of ₹ 2500 crore  has  been  provided  for the project for Financial Year 2022-23.

Railway  projects  are  sanctioned  Zonal  Railway-wise  and  not Region-wise/State-wise/District-wise, as Indian Railways' projects may  span  across  State  boundaries.  However,  as  on  01.04.2022,  19 Railway infrastructure projects covering total length of 1,909 km at a cost of ₹ 77,930 crore, falling fully/ partly in North Eastern Region are under different stages of planning/ approval/ execution, out of which 409 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹ 30,312 crore incurred upto March, 2022. These include-

Contd…2

- 14  New  Line  Projects  covering  total  length  of  1,181  km  at  a 61,520  crore,  out  of  which  361  km  length  has  been 27,458  crore  incurred
- (i) cost  of ₹ commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ₹ upto March, 2022.
- (ii) 5 Doubling Projects covering total length of 728 km at a cost of ₹ 16,410 crore, out of which 48 km length has been commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ₹ 2,854  crore  incurred upto March, 2022.

Railway projects falling fully/ partly in North Eastern States are covered  in  Northeast  Frontier  Railway  Zone.  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.

Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors like 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. and 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.

Since  2014,  there  has  been  substantial  increase  in  budget allotment and commensurate commissioning of infrastructure projects. Average annual Budget allocation for infrastructure projects and  safety  works,  falling  fully/  partly  in  the  North  Eastern  Region, during  2014-19  has  been  enhanced  to ₹ 5,531  crore  per  year  from ₹ 2,122  crore  per  year  during  2009-14,  which  is  161%  more  than average  annual  Budget  allocation  during  2009-14.  Annual  Budget allocations for these projects have been increased to ₹ 7,542 crore in Financial Year 2021-22 (255% more than the average annual Budget allocation  of  2009-14)  and ₹ 9,970  crore  in  Financial  Year  2022-23, (370% more than the average annual Budget allocation of 2009-14). For Financial Year 2023-24, highest ever budget allocation of ₹ 10,269 crore has been provided for these projects, which is 384% more than the  average  annual  Budget  allocation  of  2009-14  ( ₹ 2,122  crore  per year).

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APPENDIX REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 463 BY SHRI KRIPANATH MALLAH TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 05.04.2023 REGARDING NEW RAILWAY LINES IN ASSAM

Details  of  total  11  new  line  surveys  of  length  1251  km  falling fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Assam  completed  during  the  Financial Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022- 23:

|   S. No. | Name of the Project                                                                                           |   Length (km) | Year of completion   |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|----------------------|
|        1 | Pasighat-Tezu-Parshuramkund-Rupai (Strategic Railway Line)                                                    |           218 | 2019-20              |
|        2 | Dhalaibil-Itakhola-Seijosa                                                                                    |            22 | 2020-21              |
|        3 | Chaparmukh-Jowai via Dalimbari, Bhokchung, Rajagaon, Baithalangso, Dongkamukam, Jengkha, Kheroni and Umrangso |           156 | 2020-21              |
|        4 | Kharsang-Deban via New Khamlang and Nampong                                                                   |            72 | 2021-22              |
|        5 | Gogamukh-Dhakuakhana-Kamalabari- Garmur-Jorhat                                                                |            86 | 2021-22              |
|        6 | Naharkatia-Deomali                                                                                            |            21 | 2021-22              |
|        7 | Dangri-Roing                                                                                                  |            59 | 2021-22              |
|        8 | Rangiya-Dekargaon via Bezera, Dumnichowki, Sipajhar, Mangaldoi, Kharupetia, Dalgaon, Orang                    |           142 | 2021-22              |
|        9 | Extension of Dharmanagar-Pencharthal survey upto Belonia via Kamalpur-Khowai- Agartala                        |           178 | 2022-23              |
|       10 | Misamari (Bhalukpong)- Tawang via Tenga (Strategic Railway Line)                                              |           201 | 2022-23              |
|       11 | Silapathar-Bame-Along (Strategic Railway Line)                                                                |            96 | 2022-23              |

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