Lok Sabha Question No. 2383 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-16
Subject: Railway Projects in Odisha
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Basanta Kumar Panda

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2383 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2022

## RAILWAY PROJECTS IN ODISHA

†2383.  SHRI BASANTA KUMAR PANDA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  Odisha  has  agreed  to  provide  free  land  for  the  new  rail projects; and
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  of  commitments  made  for  such  lands  and  the present status  thereof; project-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) and (b): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  AND  (b)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2383 BY SHRI BASANTA KUMAR PANDA TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  16.03.2022  REGARDING RAILWAY PROJECTS IN ODISHA.

(a) and (b): Yes, Sir. Government of Odisha has entered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ministry of Railways to provide land free of cost for two ongoing New Railway Lines.  The details are as under;

- (i)  Khurda  Road-Bolangir  new  line  project  (289  km):  The  anticipated cost of this project is ` 3792 crore.  Govt. of Odisha has to provide land free of cost and sharing 50% cost of project from km 112 to km 289 from Khurda Road. Railway has taken up the work on Khurda RoadBolangir New Line (289 km). An expenditure of ` 1497 crore has been incurred on the project upto March'21 and an outlay of ` 1000.50 crore has been provided in the financial year 2021-22.  So far, 92 km length (Khurda Road to Mahipur (77 km) and Bolangir to Bichupalli (15 km)) of the  project  has  been  commissioned.    Work  has  been  taken  up  in Mahipur-Nuagaon-Buguda  (45  km),  Purunakatak-Boudh-Sonepur  (65 km) and Sonepur-Jahrtarbha-Bichupalli (37 km).

This  project  involves  acquisition  of  6162  acre  land  and  diversion  of 1844 acre forest land, out of which 5333 acre land has been acquired and  diversion  of  170  acre  forest  land  has  been  completed.  Further, State Govt. has to acquire 829 acre land and diversion of 1674 acre forest land.

- (ii) Jeypore-Nabarangpur new line project (38 km): JeyporeNabarangpur  (38  km)  new  line  was  included  in  Budget  2016-17. Project is sanctioned on cost sharing basis with the State Government of  Odisha  in  which  State  Government  of  Odisha  has  to  provide  land free of cost and has to share 50% construction cost of the project. The

latest cost of the project is ` 748 crore. An outlay of ` 15.70 crore has been provided in the Budget 2021-22.

Project  involves  land  acquisition  of  772.19  acre  Private  Land,  87.77 acre  Govt.  land  and  forest  land  diversion  9.70  acre  land.    Land acquisition work has been taken up.

Railway has substantially increased budget allocations and commensurate  commissioning  for  Infrastructure  projects  &  safety works. Average annual Budget allocation for Infrastructure projects & safety works, falling fully/partly in State of Odisha, during 2014-19 has been  enhanced  to ` 4,126  crore  per  year  from ` 838  crore  per  year (during 2009-14). Thus, the average budget allocation during 2014-19 is 392% more as compared to average allocation during 2009-14 (`838 Cr/Year).    These  allocations  have  been  enhanced  to ` 4,568  crore  in 2019-20 (445% more than any annual budget allocation of 2009-14) and ` 5,296 crore in 2020-21 (532% more than the average annual allocation of 2009-14). During 2021-22 highest ever budget outlay of ` 6471 crore has  been  provided  for  these  projects,  which  is  672%  more  than  the average annual budget allocation of 2009-14 ( ` 838 Cr/Year).

There  is  substantial  increase  in  rate  of  commissioning  since  2014. During 2009-14, 267 km section (56 km of New line, 83 km of Gauge conversion and 128 km of Doubling), falling fully/partly in the State of Odisha, have been commissioned at an average rate of 53.40 km per year.    These  commissioning  during  2014-21  has  been  increased  to 1031 km (251 km of New line and 780 km of Doubling), at an average rate of 147.29 km per year, which is 176% more than average annual commissioning achieved during 2009-14.

*****