Lok Sabha Question No. 1765 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-27
Subject: New Railway Lines in Assam
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Badruddin Ajmal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1765 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2022

## NEW RAILWAY LINES IN ASSAM

1765. SHRI M. BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of surveys conducted for laying new railway lines in the State of Assam during the last three years, State-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
- (e) the amount of funds likely to be incurred for the development of proposed rail network in the NER?

## 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. 1765 BY SHRI M. BADRUDDIN AJMAL TO BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  27.07.2022  REGARDING  NEW RAILWAY LINES IN ASSAM

(a): Total  7  surveys  for  New  Line  projects  falling  fully/partly  in Assam with aggregate length of 558 km have been completed in last 3 years and current financial year (i.e. 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and current financial year).

(b) to (d):      State Capitals of Assam (Guwahati), Tripura (Agartala) and  Arunachal  Pradesh  (Itanagar)  have  been  connected  by  Broad Gauge (BG) Rail network of Indian Railways. In Arunachal Pradesh, a BG railway line has been commissioned upto Naharlagun, which is a suburban city of  Itanagar  (distance  between  Itanagar-Naharlagun  is 10 km).

For capital connectivity of remaining 5 States of North Eastern Region - Meghalaya (Shillong), Manipur (Imphal), Nagaland (Kohima), Mizoram (Aizawl)  and  Sikkim  (Gangtok),  Railway  has  taken  up  New Line projects as detailed below:

(1) Manipur: Jiribam - Imphal (111 km) new line project has been taken  up  for  connecting  Imphal  with  Indian  Railways  (IR)  network. Cost of the project is ` 14,323 crore and expenditure of ` 12,371 crore has been incurred on the project upto 31.03.2022. An outlay of ` 1,000 crore  has  been  provided  for  2022-23.  The  section  from  Jiribam  to Khongsang (55 km) has been commissioned and work has been taken up in remaining length.

- (2)  Mizoram: Bhairabi  -  Sairang  (51  km)  new  line  project  has been  taken  up  for  connecting  Aizawl  with  IR  network  (Sairang  is suburban  city  of  Aizawl,  the  Capital  city  of  Mizoram).  Cost  of  the project  is ` 5,522  crore  and  expenditure  of ` 4,952  crore  has  been incurred on the project upto 31.03.2022. An outlay of ` 1,005 crore has been provided for 2022-23. The construction work has been taken up throughout the length of project.
- (3) Nagaland: Dimapur (Dhansiri) -  Zubza (Kohima) (82 km) new line  project    has  been  taken  up  for  connecting  Kohima  with  IR network  (Zubza  is  suburban  city  of  Kohima,  the  Capital  city  of Nagaland).    Cost  of  the  project  is ` 6,911  crore  and  expenditure  of ` 1,599  crore  has  been  incurred  on  the  project  upto  31.03.2022.  An outlay  of ` 1,000  crore  has  been  provided  for  2022-23.  The  section from  Dhansiri-Sukhovi  (16.5  km)  has  been  commissioned  and  work has been taken up in remaining length.
- (4)  Sikkim:     Sivok - Rangpo (44 km) new line project has been taken up in first phase for connecting Gangtok with IR network (Rangpo is 40 km short of Gangtok). Cost of the project is ` 8,043 crore and the expenditure  of ` 2,558  crore  has  been  incurred  on  the  project  upto 31.03.2022. An outlay of ` 2,500 crore has been provided for 2021-22.

Out  of  44  km,  total  38.7  km  is  in  tunnels.    Works  on  all  14 tunnels have been taken up.

- (5) Meghalaya: Two  new  line  projects  have  been  taken  up simultaneously  for  connecting  Shillong,  the  capital  of  Meghalaya, with IR network:

- (i) Tetelia - Byrnihat (22 km) new line project has been taken up. Cost of the project is ` 1,043 crore and expenditure of ` 950 crore has been incurred on the project upto 31.03.2022. An outlay of ` 100 crore has been provided for 2022-23.  10 km length of the project falling in Assam  State  from  Tetelia  to  Kamalajari  got  completed  in  October, 2018.    Project  is  held  up  as  some  organizations  are  stating  that railway connectivity may lead to influx of outsiders and this has led to some local resistance to this project.
- (ii) Byrnihat - Shillong (108 km) new line project has been taken up. Cost of the project is ` 4,083 crore and expenditure of ` 264 crore has been incurred on the project upto 31.03.2022.  Project is held up as some organizations are stating that railway connectivity may lead to influx of outsiders and this has led to some local resistance to this project.

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,  priority  of  project/s, shifting of infringing utilities,  statutory  clearances  from  various authorities, geological and topographical conditions of area, law and order situation in the area of project site, number of working months in a year for particular project site due to climatic considerations etc. All these factors affect the completion time of the project/s.  As such, confirmed completion time of project/s cannot be ascertained at this stage;  nevertheless,  every  effort  is  being  made  to  execute  the project/s expeditiously and early commissioning.

(e): Since  2014,  there  has  been  substantial  increase  in  budget allotment for 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. These allocations have been increased to ` 4,909 crore in Financial Year 2019-20 (131% more than the average annual Budget allocation of 2009-14), ` 4,669 crore in Financial Year 2020-21 (120%  more  than  the  average  annual  Budget  allocation  of  2009-14) and ` 7,542  crore  in  Financial  Year  2021-22  (255%  more  than  the average  annual  Budget  allocation  of  2009-14).  For  Financial  Year 2022-23,  highest  ever  budget  allocation  of ` 9,970  crore  has  been provided  for  these  projects,  which  is  370%  more  than  the  average annual Budget allocation of 2009-14 ( ` 2,122 crore per year).

*****