opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 4816 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Rights and Protection of Air Passengers
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Suresh Kumar Shetkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 4816

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  21st August 2025 )

## RIGHTS AND PROTECTION OF AIR PASSENGERS

## 4816.    SHRI SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the  legal  rights  and  protections  available  to  air  passengers  in  the  country  in  cases  of physical assault, harassment and discrimination on board;
- (b) the procedure to be followed for filing a formal grievance against another passenger or against the airline staff for inaction during an in-flight incident;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  introduce  a  specialized  ombudsman  or  fast-track tribunal for aviation-related complaints involving passenger misconduct or violation of rights and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  considered  introducing  passenger  awareness  guidelines regarding proper conduct on flights and the consequences of violating civil aviation rules and if so, the details thereof;
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  any  proposals  to  launch  public  awareness  campaigns  on mental  health  sensitivity,  responsible  travel  behavior  and  the  rights  and  responsibilities  of passengers during air travel and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the standard protocol to be followed by the airlines in case of a passenger exhibits signs of medical or psychological distress during boarding, taxing or in mid-air?

## ANSWER

Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  CIVIL  AVIATION            (Shri  Murlidhar Mohol)

- (a) & (b): In order to ensure the safety of the aircraft/persons/property, to maintain good order & discipline and to handle the unlawful/disruptive behavior on board the aircraft, DGCA has issued  CAR,  Section  3Air Transport, Series M,  and  Part VI  titled "Handling  of unruly/disruptive passengers".

;

Further, any act which is considered an offence on the ground and invites penal action as per law, is also an offence if committed on board an aircraft.

;

An aggrieved passenger may also file a grievance or complaint with the local authorities at the earliest.;

;

(c):  At present there is no such proposal under consideration by the Ministry.;

;

(d)  to  (f):  As  per  the  CAR,  the  passengers  shall  be  made  aware  of  the  provisions  of  the aforesaid CAR through display at prominent locations in the airport. Further, the airline shall establish  a  Standard  Operating  Procedure  (SOP)  including  the  role  of  ground  staff,  flight crew,  airline  airport  manager  and  airline  central  operational  control  to  deal  with  unruly passengers while at the airport or on board the aircraft.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 4815 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Increase in Airfare of Domestic Flights
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Ramashankar  Vidharthi Rajbhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 4815

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  21st August 2025 )

## INCREASE IN AIRFARE OF DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

## 4815.    SHRI RAMASHANKAR VIDHARTHI RAJBHAR Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the airfares of domestic flights have increased significantly in recent times and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government to regulate the same;
- (b) the changes in the operational status of Air India post-privatisation and the current status of its employees; (c)  whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  construct  any  new  international  or  domestic airports  in  the  country,  particularly  in  Uttar  Pradesh,  Bihar  and  Jharkhand  and  if  so,  the
- details thereof; and
- (d)  the  time  by  which  Kushinagar  Airport  in  Uttar  Pradesh  is  expected  to  become  fully operational?

## ANSWER

## Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  CIVIL  AVIATION            (Shri  Murlidhar Mohol)

- (a): Airfares are not subject to regulation by the Government and airlines have the flexibility to determine their airfares based on their operational needs, while adhering to Rule 135 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.

;

- (b):  Post  -  privatisation,  Air  India  has  informed  that  the  airline  has  taken  various  steps  for enhancing  operational  effeciency  such  as  fleet  upgrades,  mergers,  addition  of  new  routes, Information  Technology  (IT)  overhauls.  It  has  modernized  its  workforce  through  hiring, reshaping  contracts,  and  offering  exit  options  for  untenured  staff.  The  employee  base  is younger,  skilled, and better aligned with private-sector performance metrics. Recent policy changes  boost  retention  (e.g.,  raised  retirement  ages),  while  operational  disciplines  (like restricting business-class travel) reflect a customer-centric shift.

;

- (c):   Government of India (GoI) has formulated a Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy, 2008 for development of new Greenfield airports in the country. As per policy, GoI has accorded, in-principle approval for construction of 24 new Greenfield airports across the country. Out of  these  24  airports,  Noida  International  Airport  in  Uttar  Pradesh  is  presently  under development.

(d):   Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh, owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), has  already  been  operationalized.  However,  at  present  there  are  no  schedule  operations  at Kushinagar.; With the  repeal  of  Air  Corporation  Act  in  March  1994,  the  Indian  domestic  aviation  was deregulated.

It  is  upto  the  airline  operators to  introduce air services to / from any airport in the country depending on their operational & commercial viability.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 4809 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Implementation of Fifth Schedule in Karauli and Dhaulpur Districts
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Bhajan Lal Jatav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4809

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.08.2025

## IMPLEMENTATION OF FIFTH SCHEDULE IN KARAULI AND DHAULPUR DISTRICTS

## † 4809 Shri Bhajan Lal Jatav:

## Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to State:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the rural and tribal communities of Karauli and Dholpur districts in Rajasthan have demanded inclusion of these districts under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution in order to safeguard their rights over water, forest and land and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has considered this demand and conducted any survey or constituted a committee in this regard; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the constraints faced in doing so?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)

(a) to (c): According to the Constitutional provision of Fifth Schedule under Article 244 (1) of the Constitution of India the expression 'Scheduled Areas' means such areas as the President may by order declare to be Scheduled Areas.  The specification of 'Scheduled Areas' in relation to a State is by a notified order of the President, after consultation with the Governor of that State. The Government of Rajasthan informed that there is no formal demand  or  proposal  for  inclusion  of  the  Karauli  and  Dhaulpur  districts  under  the  Fifth  Schedule  of  the Constitution and no information received about survey conducted and committee  constituted in these districts in this regard so far.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 4805 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Coverage of Rail Routes under RRTS Corridors for Delhi-NCR
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Harendra Singh Malik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4805

TO BE ANSWERED ON AUGUST 21, 2025

COVERAGE OF RAIL ROUTES UNDER RRTS CORRIDORS FOR DELHI-NCR NO. 4805 : SHRI HARENDRA SINGH MALIK:

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the rail routes covered under the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors for Delhi-NCR, including the routes which are operational at present;
- (b) the  details  of  the  rail  routes  likely  to  be  covered  under  the  RRTS corridors for Delhi-NCR in future along with the time by which these are likely to be made operational;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to extend the Sarai Kale Khan-Meerut RRTS corridor to Muzaffarnagar in the second phase and to Saharanpur/Haridwar in the third phase; and
- (d) if  so, the details thereof along with the time by which such extensions are likely to be made operational?

## ANSWER MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## THE MINISTER OF STATE OF THE (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)

- (a) & (b): National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB)  prepared  a 'Functional  Plan  on  Transport  for  NCR-2032'  which  identified  eight Regional  Rapid  Transit  System  (RRTS)  corridors  to  connect  various important  towns  of  NCR  with  semi-high  speed  rail  based  commuter transit  system  in  order  to  improve  rail  based  connectivity  in  NCR, namely (i) Delhi-Gurugram-Rewari-Alwar (ii) Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut (iii) Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat  (iv)  Delhi-Faridabad-Ballabhgarh-Palwal  (v)  DelhiBahadurgarh-Rohtak  (vi)  Delhi-Shahdara-Baraut  (vii)  Ghaziabad-Khurja and (viii) Ghaziabad-Hapur.

The Task Force appointed by the erstwhile Planning Commission of India (now  NITI  Aayog)  had  prioritized  following  three  RRTS  corridors  for implementation:

- Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut
- •
- Delhi-Gurugram-Alwar
- •
- Delhi-Panipat

Out  of  the  above  three  corridors,  82.15  Km  Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor has already been sanctioned by the Central Government in March, 2019 and 55 Km of this corridor is operational.

- (c): No.
- (d): Question does not arise.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4804 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Allocation of Funds under PMKSY to Uttar Pradesh
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Shri Rambhual Nishad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4804 ANSWERED ON 21 ST  AUGUST, 2025

## ALLOCATION OF FUNDS UNDER PMKSY TO UTTAR PRADESH

## 4804.   SHRI RAMBHUAL NISHAD:

Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) the budgetary allocation made and utilised under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana  (PMKSY)  under Atma  Nirbhar  Bharat  to  Uttar  Pradesh  and  especially  to Sultanpur district during the last five years;
- (b) the number of Mega Food Parks, Integrated Cold Chain,  Agro Processing Infrastructure, Agri logistics etc. created/being created in Sultanpur district under the above scheme; and
- (c) the  number  of  jobs  created  and  the  number  of  farmers  benefited/getting  benefits thereunder in the said district?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI RAVNEET SINGH)

(a) to (c): Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) is a Central Sector demand driven scheme and applications are invited through Expression of Interest (EoI) from all over India including Sultanpur district in Uttar Pradesh. The funds are not allocated/sanctioned/released State-wise under any of the component schemes of PMKSY. The proposals received are scrutinized for their eligibility and evaluated based on the criteria fixed as per the extant scheme guidelines. Merit based approvals are given to the eligible proposals based on availability of funds. A total 32 number of projects have been approved during the last five years in the state of Uttar Pradesh, with an approved grant-in-aid of Rs. 181.73 crores out  of  which  Rs.  98.90  crores  has  been  disbursed.  No  project  has  been  approved  in  the Sultanpur district under PMKSY as on date.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4802 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: NAMASTE Scheme
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Mahesh Kashyap

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4802 TO BE ANSWERED ON AUGUST 21, 2025

## NAMASTE SCHEME

NO. 4802  SHRI MAHESH KASHYAP:

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the total funds sanctioned under the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme till June, 2025;
- (b) the details of the total funds disbursed to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and States  for  mechanized  sanitation  thereunder  since  its  inception  along with the utilisation rate, State-wise; and
- (c) the details of the percentage of urban households who depend on septic tanks having regular access to desludging services through mechanized means as per records?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)

- (a) : The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme has been launched in July, 2023 by Ministry of Social Justice  and  Empowerment  (MoSJE)  in  convergence  with  Ministry  of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

The objective is to ensure safety and dignity of sanitation workers. The NAMASTE scheme is being implemented by the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC), MoSJE for a  period  of  three  years  from  FY  2023-24  to  FY  2025-26,  with  a  budget allocation of 349.73 crores.  It is a Central Sector Scheme under which safety  devices  for  mechanised  sanitation  for  Emergency  Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs) are procured. As per information received from MoSJE, so far ₹105.655 crores has been sanctioned toward NAMASTE.

(b) : As reported by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), under  NAMASTE  initiative,  ₹4.15  crore  has  been  incurred  by  Central Government and ₹0.25 crores disbursed to State Government of Assam towards  procurement  of  safety  devices  by  ERSUs  for  mechanised sanitation.

(c) : Out of an estimated 42 crore urban population in India, about 50% (4.5 crore households) use septic tanks. This indicates a critical need for regular desludging services to safely remove and dispose of faecal sludge at  designated  treatment  locations.  Around  35%  of  the  population  is connected  to  sewer  networks  that  require  regular  maintenance  for efficient wastewater flow to treatment plants. Both sewer systems and septic tanks need regular cleaning - sewer manholes must be cleared of blockages, and septic tanks must be desludged regularly.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4801 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Structural Issues of NHs
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri Balwant Baswant Wankhade

be pleased to state:

- (a) the total length of National Highways (NHs) constructed in 2024-25 and the target for 2025-26;
- (b)  the  number  of  road  accidents  and  deaths  on  NHs  during  the  last three  years  due  to  poor  road  design  or  structural  issues,  State-wise; and
- (c) the list of all intelligent transportation systems currently in use on NHs?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a) Total length of National Highways (NHs) constructed during Financial Year (FY) 2024-25 was 10,660 km, and the preliminary target for current FY 2025-26 is 10,000 km.
- (b)  The  Government  publishes  report  on  'Road  Accidents  in  India' based on data received from States/ UTs. As per the data received, road

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 4801

ANSWERED ON 21 ST  AUGUST 2025

## STRUCTURAL ISSUES OF NHS

4801. SHRI BALWANT BASWANT WANKHADE:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

- accidents are multi-causal phenomenon and are the result of interplay of  various  factors,  which  can  broadly  be  categorized  into  (i)  human error,  (ii)  road  condition/  environment  and  (iii)  vehicular  condition. However, no separate data is maintained in respect of road accidents and  fatalities  on  NHs  caused  by  poor  road  design  or  structural problems. (c)  Advanced  Traffic  Management  System  (ATMS)  is  an  important component of Intelligent  Transportation  System.  ATMS  is  installed  on high traffic density NHs and National Expressways (NEs) such as DelhiMeerut  Expressway,  Trans-Haryana,  Eastern  Peripheral  Expressway, Delhi Mumbai Expressway etc. by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). ATMS has provisions for various electronic enforcement devices which help in speedy identification of incidents on the highway stretches and effectively monitor the highways, thereby improving the response  time  of the  on-site  assistance.  Further,  NHAI  envisages  to implement the ATMS solution in NHs and NEs in phased manner, and as a part of its ATMS Policy, NHAI is implementing ATMS. The details of 5 pilot Standalone ATMS projects are as follows:

| Corridor Name                     |   Length (km) | State(s)       | Status of ATMS Project   |
|-----------------------------------|---------------|----------------|--------------------------|
| Bangalore - Mysore (Augmentation) |           117 | Karnataka      | Completed                |
| Dwarka Expressway                 |            58 | Delhi, Haryana | Completed                |
| Delhi-Agra                        |           180 | Uttar Pradesh  | Under Progress           |
| Lucknow Ring Road                 |           103 | Uttar Pradesh  | Under Progress           |
| UER-II                            |            75 | Delhi, Haryana | Under Progress           |

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4800 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Medium Size Airports in Bihar
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Rajesh Ranjan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 4800

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  21st August 2025 )

## MEDIUM SIZE AIRPORTS IN BIHAR

4800.    SHRI RAJESH RANJAN Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

(a) whether it is a fact that medium-sized new airports are being constructed at Muzaffarpur, Valmiki  Nagar,  Madhubani,  Birpur,  Munger  and  Saharsa  in  Bihar  as  per  an  agreement between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the State Government of Bihar; and (b) if so, the details thereof along with the timeline set for the construction and completion of the said airports?

## ANSWER

Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  CIVIL  AVIATION            (Shri  Murlidhar Mohol)

(a)  &  (b):  Under  the  Regional  Connectivity  Scheme  -  Ude  Desh  ka  Aam  Nagrik  (RCSUDAN),  six  airports  namely  Birpur,  Saharsa,  Munger,  Valmiki  Nagar,  Madhubani,  and Muzaffarpur have been identified for development and operation of small aircraft (Category 2B) under the scheme.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the  Government of Bihar was signed on 30.06.2025 for the development of these airports. The actual timelines for airport projects depend upon various factors such as land acquisition, mandatory clearances, removal of obstacles, etc.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 4796 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Implementation of India Energy Stack
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4796 ANSWERED ON 21.08.2025

## IMPLEMENTATION OF INDIA ENERGY STACK

4796. SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the Government has constituted a task force to design and implement the India Energy Stack (IES);
- (b) if so, the mandate and composition thereof;
- (c) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  include  the  representatives  from emerging green energy sectors in the process;
- (d) the critical challenges in the existing power sector ecosystem that the IES seeks to address; and
- (e) the major components and expected functionalities of the proposed Utility Intelligence Platform under IES?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER

(SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)

(a) to (c) :   Ministry of Power has constituted a task force comprising domain experts and various stakeholders including representatives from Ministries, State utilities, Regulators etc. to chart a roadmap for the India Energy Stack (IES). The Task force has representatives from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and other stakeholders in the green energy sector.

(d) & (e) :    IES is envisioned to create a unified, secure and interoperable digital platform to transform the power sector by enabling seamless data exchange, real time analytics and enhanced consumer services. It aims to create a standardised platform that will enable data, services and systems to work together seamlessly across the power sector value chain.

*********
Lok Sabha Question No. 4795 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Reduction of Excise Duties on Petrol and Diesel
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Shri Karan Bhushan Singh

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4795 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 AUGUST, 2025

## Reduction of Excise Duties on Petrol and Diesel

4795.  SHRI KARAN BHUSHAN SINGH:

## पेट Ō ोिलयम और Ůाक ृ ितक गैस मंũी

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Union Government has reduced excise duties on petrol and diesel in recent years and the State Governments have also taken steps to provide relief to the consumers and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the retail fuel prices continue to vary across the States and if so, the details thereof; and

(c) whether the Government is exploring a harmonised tax framework in consultation with the States to promote price uniformity and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER पेट Ō ोिलयम और Ůाक ृ ितक गैस मंũालय मŐ राǛ मंũी ( ŵी सुरे श गोपी )

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI)

(a) & (b): Prices of petrol and diesel are market determined and Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) take appropriate decision on pricing of petrol and diesel. The final selling prices of petrol and diesel include excise duty fixed by the Central Government and State Value Added Tax (VAT)/Taxes fixed by the respective State Governments.  The prices of petrol and diesel in the States across the country vary due to freight rates, VAT/local levies etc.

Central Government uniformly decreased the prices across the country by reducing excise duty in  November  2021  and  May  2022  of  Rs.  13/litre  and  Rs.  16/litre  on  petrol  and  diesel respectively.

While most State governments reduced VAT rate to provide further relief to citizens, some State Governments did not.

In April 2025, excise duty on Petrol and Diesel was increased by Rs. 2 per litre each but this was not passed on to consumers.

(c) The GST Council in its 45th meeting held on 17th September 2021 had considered the inclusion of Petrol/Diesel and other petroleum products under the GST regime but the matter was deferred  by  the  Council  till  larger  deliberations  on  account  of  its  heavy  repercussions  on  the exchequer. The issue has not been taken up by the Council as an agenda item for any further deliberation subsequent to the said meeting.

*****