opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 1009 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: WTO's Ruling
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Balashowry Vallabbhaneni

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1009 ANSWERED ON 26/07/2023

## WTO'S RULING

## 1009.   SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the  manner  in  which  the  Ministry  looks  at  WTO's  ruling  against  India's  imposition  of import duty on mobile phones (20%) and telecommunications equipment (15%);
- (b) the impact of the above ruling on local manufacturing;
- (c) whether the Government of India filed appeal against the above ruling; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the impact of the above ruling on PLI scheme and the   Phased Manufacturing Programme?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) to (c) India is a member of WTO and hence, it has to abide by its provisions in spirit of its multilateralism. India has sought review by the Appellate Body of certain errors on point of law and legal interpretation of the Panel's findings.

India  views  that  there  are  certain  errors  on  point  of  law  and  legal  interpretation  of  the  Panel's findings. Hence, until the Appellate Body issues its review report on the Panel's finding it is difficult to comment on the impact of the Panel's ruling on local manufacturing. In this regard it is highlighted that the Appellate Body is currently dysfunctional due to non-appointment of Appellate Body member since 2019.

There are three separate disputes filed against India by the European Union (DS582-India- Tariffs on ICT Goods), Japan (DS584India- Tariffs on ICT Goods) and Chinese Taipei (DS588-India-Tariffs on ICT  Goods).  Since,  Japan  has  filed  its  motion  for  the  adoption  of  the  Panel  report  at  Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) meeting at WTO, in response, India filed its notice of appeal. But, both the

European Union and Chinese Taipei have made a request to the Dispute Settlement Body at WTO to defer the adoption of the Panel report until 19 September 2023. This deferral is intended to create an opportunity for all parties to work towards a Mutually Agreed Solution (MAS). Hence, India has not filed its motion of appeal against European Union and Chinese Taipei.

(d) The dispute does not have any impact on the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and the Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP). As the complainants claims that India applies duties in excess of the rates bound in its Schedule of Concessions and Commitments annexed to the GATT 1994 ("Schedule") on imports of certain goods in the information and technology sector. While PLI and PMP are to make domestic manufacturing globally competitive and to create global champions in manufacturing.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1008 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: Corporatisation of Railway Production Units
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: K. Subbarayan, Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1008 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2023

## CORPORATISATION OF RAILWAY PRODUCTION UNITS

1008.    SHRI SUBBARAYAN K.: SHRI B. B. PATIL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has decided to expand/corporatize various railway production units;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the four coach factories and existing wagons factories are sufficient to meet the production targets, if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether many activities of the Railways are being handed over to private sector and permanent and perennial jobs are being outsourced; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) &  (b)  There  is  no  plan  at  present  to  corporatize  Indian  Railway owned production units.

The work of expanding the capacity of a production unit is a continuous process. Works amounting to Rs. 3357 Crores have been sanctioned in the recent past for upgradation/modernisation/augmentation/ development of production capacity of production units.

- (c)  The coach and wagon factories are sufficient to meet the present requirement of coaches and wagons for Indian Railways.

Coach Production Units of Indian Railways manufactured 5877 Coaches and  Indian  Railways      procured      22,790      wagons  in  2022-23.  The planning  of  coaches  and  wagons  for  the  year  2023-24  is  tabulated below:

| Coach   | 7000 nos.   |
|---------|-------------|
| Wagon   | 27000 nos.  |

- (d)  &  (e)  Outsourcing  in  Railway  activities  is  done  to  supplement resources,  primarily  in  optimally  utilizing  available  resources  in  core activities.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1004 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: Mining Surveillance System
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Ranjeeta Koli

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1004

ANSWERED ON 26.07.2023

## MINING SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

†1004. SHRIMATI RANJEETA KOLI:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Mining Surveillance System has been successful in checking illegal mining in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of cases in which the Mining Surveillance System has been used to nab people involved in illegal mining?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINES, COAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

- (a) to (c): Yes, Sir. The Mining Surveillance System (MSS) has been successful in checking illegal mining activities around mining leases. The system was developed to assist the State Governments to detect and curb illegal mining activities. The system checks  a  region  of  500  meters  around  the  existing  mining  lease  boundary  using satellitic imagery to search for any unusual activity which is likely to be illegal mining. Any discrepancy found is flagged-off as a trigger. The triggers thus generated are forwarded to respective State Governments for verification through field visit. A user friendly  mobile  app  for  MSS  has  also  been  developed  for  Citizens  and  State Governments to ensure ease of access and transparency. 793 triggers have been generated  in  4  phases  and  in  80  cases  unauthorized  mining  activities  have  been confirmed by the State Governments. As per Section 23C of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation  and  Development)  Act,  1957,  State  Governments  are  responsible  for taking action in the cases of illegal mining.

Summary of phase-wise details of triggers generated and action taken thereon (since inception of MSS) are furnished below:

|                                | Generated   | Verified   | Unauthorized Mining Confirmed   |
|--------------------------------|-------------|------------|---------------------------------|
| Phase-I (Major)(2016-17)       | 296         | 287        | 47                              |
| Phase-II (Major)(2018-19)      | 52          | 45         | 5                               |
| Phase-II (Minor) (2018-19)     | 130         | 104        | 9                               |
| Phase-III (Major)(2021-22)     | 177         | 97         | 12                              |
| Phase-IV (Major)-I (2022-23)   | 61          | 24         | 7                               |
| Phase-IV (Major)-II (2022- 23) | 77*         | -          | -                               |

*recently generated triggers in June 2023

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1003 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: FTTH Connections
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Gowdar Mallikarjunappa Siddeshwara

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1003 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH  JULY, 2023

## FTTH CONNECTIONS

## 1003.   SHRI G.M. SIDDESHWAR:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) the time by which BSNL would start releasing FTTH connections under the BharatNet PhaseI districts of Karnataka;

(b) the steps taken/proposed to be taken to attract ISPs to provide FTTH connections in rural areas;

- (c) the reasons behind poor utilization of BharatNet project;
- (d) the action plan to connect all villages with internet connectivity in Karnataka; and

(e) whether Wi-Fi technology would be used extensively to provide internet services in rural areas under BharatNet project, if so, the details thereof along with the plan for deployment of Wi-Fi technology in rural Karnataka?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) BSNL has already started work for providing Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) connections under BharatNet Project in districts of Karnataka.

(b) to (e) BharatNet  project  is  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country, including Karnataka. The scope of BharatNet  has  been  recently  extended  up  to  all  inhabited  villages  beyond  GPs  in  the  country, including Karnataka.

The infrastructure created under BharatNet project is a national asset, accessible on a nondiscriminatory basis to the Service Providers, and the same can be utilized to provide broadband services, such as Wi-Fi Hotspots, Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections, leased lines, dark fibre, backhaul to mobile towers, etc

As  of  June,  2023  a  total  16004  Fibre  to  the  Home  (FTTH)  connections  in  1710  Gram Panchayats have been commissioned in various districts of Karnataka through BharatNet.

Further, the following steps have been taken for effective utilization of BharatNet:

- (i) The  All-India  conference  of  Internet  Service  Providers  (ISPs)  was  held  on  12-13 June, 2023 to attract ISPs for appointing them as franchises through revenue share model under BharatNet Udhyami Scheme for providing Fiber to the Home (FTTH) connections in rural areas.
- (ii) The utilization of BharatNet Phase-I was assigned to M/s Common Service Centre (CSC) e-Governance Limited was from 01.07.2019 to 30.06.2022 and w.e.f. 01.07.2022, the work of utilization of BharatNet Network has been assigned to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).  With this new arrangement, the utilization of BharatNet is picking up and as of June 2023, 5.67 lakh (Phase-I - 4.25 lakh and Phase-II- 1.42 lakh) Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections have been commissioned in the country including Karnataka.

The Government has also launched 4G saturation scheme implemented by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited  (BSNL) for  providing  4G mobile  coverage  to  all  uncovered  villages  in  India,  including Karnataka.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1002 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: Performance of the Textile Sector
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: Sarmistha Sethi

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1002 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2023

## PERFORMANCE OF THE TEXTILE SECTOR

## 1002. SHRIMATI SARMISTHA SETHI:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री be pleased to state :

(a) whether the Government is aware that performance of the Textile Sector in India has stagnated in recent years;

(b) if so, whether any recent policy measures have been taken to boost productivity in the textile sector;

(c) if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the details of the steps taken to improve export potential of India's textile sector?

उत्तर

## ANSWER

## वस्त्र राज् य मंत्री ( श्रीमती दर्शना जरदोर् )

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SMT. DARSHANA JARDOSH)

(a) to (c): The  Government  of  India  has  taken  various  initiatives/measures  in  order  to  promote growth of the textile sector and to overcome challenges faced especially in the wake of COVID - 19 pandemic.  Government  is  implementing  various  schemes  for  development  of  textile  sector  and enhancing productivity viz. Prime Minister Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA), Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, SAMARTH- The Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector, Silk Samagra-2, National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP), Raw Material Supply Scheme  (RMSS),  National  Handicraft  Development  Programme  and  National  Technical  Textile Mission (NTTM).

(d): In order to boost export of textiles products, Government is implementing scheme of Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) on exports of Apparel/Garments and Made-ups. Further, textiles products not covered under the RoSCTL are covered under Remissions of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) along with other products. Government also provides financial support to various Export Promotion Councils and Trade Bodies engaged in promotion of textiles and garments exports, for organising and participating in trade fairs, exhibitions, buyer-seller meets etc. Further, India has so far signed 13 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) including recently concluded agreement with UAE and Australia; and 6 Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) with various trading partners.

****
Lok Sabha Question No. 998 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: Plying of Weekly Train
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Devji Mansingram Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 998 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2023

## PLYING OF WEEKLY TRAIN

†998. SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether a large number of people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar live in Abu Road and Pindwara Tehsil in Jalore Parliamentary Constituency and the residents of the said places have to face a lot of problem due to Ahmedabad-Gorakhpur Express train 19404/19410 plying only twice a week and if so, the details thereof; and
- (b)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  ply  Ahmedabad-Gorakhpur Express train 19409/19410 on all the seven days of the week in view of the difficulties of the general public and passenger load and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) and (b) In addition to the bi-weekly service of 19409/10 AhmedabadGorakhpur Express, the Abu Road-Gorakhpur sector is being catered by 02 pairs of train services which also serve passengers of Pindwara. Besides, increase in frequency of existing train services is an on-going process on Indian Railways subject to operational feasibility, availability of path, maintenance facilities and rolling stock etc.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 997 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: Vande Bharat Express Train
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Chinta Anuradha, Kotagiri Sridhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 997 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2023

## VANDE BHARAT EXPRESS TRAIN

997. SHRIMATI CHINTA ANURADHA: SHRI SRIDHAR KOTAGIRI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Ministry  is  on  track  to  achieve  its  planned  target  of running  75  such  trains  by  15  August,  2023  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b)  the  details  of  routes  on  which  Vande  Bharat  Express  is  being planned;
- (c)  whether the Ministry is planning to connect cities in the State of Andhra Pradesh with other cities through the Vande Bharat Express;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (e)  As  on  24 th   July,  2023,    50  Vande  Bharat  services,  which include 04 Vande Bharat services catering to the needs of the stations located  in  the  State  of  Andhra  Pradesh,  are  operational  over  Indian Railways'  network.  Besides,  subject  to  operational  feasibility,  traffic justification,  etc.,  new  Vande  Bharat  services  are  being  operated, which is an ongoing process.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 994 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: Trade Deficit with China
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: D. M. Kathir Anand

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 994 ANSWERED ON 26/07/2023

## TRADE DEFICIT WITH CHINA

## 994. SHRI D.M. KATHIR ANAND:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  India's  trade  deficit  widened  as  exports  fell  and  imports  rose  during the last five years, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the trade deficit with China is high that China gets five times higher than what  India  gets and if so, the current trend in this regard;
- (c) whether  the  Union  Government  has  taken  proactive  measures  to  reduce  the  over  dependence  on China for our country's imports and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the details of India's trade deficit (INR value) with China in the last five years, year-wise?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) and (b) India's exports rose by 36.6% during the last five years from USD 330.07 billion in 2018-19 to USD 450.95 billion in 2022-23. India's imports rose by 38.8% during the last five years from USD 514.07 billion in 2018-19 to USD 714.04 billion in 2022-23. Most of the goods imported from China are capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials and are used for meeting the demand of fast expanding sectors like electronics, telecom and power in India.

(c) To boost domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on imports, the Government of India has launched  Production  Linked  Incentive  (PLI)  scheme  in  14  sectors  including  Active  Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Telecom and Networking Equipment, Solar PV modules, Large Scale Electronic Manufacturing, Manmade filaments,  White  Goods,  Pharma,  etc.  These  schemes  have  already  started  showing  results  by attracting  investments, creating job opportunities and boosting exports. Quality control orders for various products have been issued to check substandard imports. Directorate General of Trade Remedies recommends

trade remedial measures against unfair trade. The Government has also taken various other steps to support and expand domestic capacities such as Make in India, Start Up India, Promoting Ease of doing Business, PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan etc.

The  Government  is  proactively  involved  in  building  supply  chain  resilience  and  diversifying  trade partnerships. This will help in expanding our market access to new destinations.

## (d) India's trade deficit with China for last five years is as below:

(in INR crore)

| Financial Years   | Trade deficit   |
|-------------------|-----------------|
| 2018-19           | 3,74,786.11     |
| 2019-20           | 3,43,840.37     |
| 2020-21           | 3,25,282.57     |
| 2021-22           | 5,46,873.06     |
| 2022-23           | 6,67,947.14     |

(Source: DGCIS)

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 993 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: New Train from Bhavnagar to Haridwar
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shyal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 993 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2023

## NEW TRAIN FROM BHAVNAGAR TO HARIDWAR

†993. DR. BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  run  a  new  train  from Bhavnagar to Haridwar;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether any suggestion or demand has been received in this regard from the public representatives;
- (d) if so, the details of the action taken thereon;
- (e)  whether  the  slot  and  the  sufficient  number  of  passengers  are available in this route; and
- (f) if so, the time by which this train is likely to be run?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (f) Requests, including from Hon'ble Member of Parliament, have been  received  for  introduction  of  new  train  between  Bhavnagar  and Haridwar.  Presently,  Bhavnagar  is  connected  to  Ahmedabad  by  05 pairs  of  train  services  which  in  turn  is  connected  to  Haridwar  by 19031/32  Ahmedabad-Yog  Nagari  Rishikesh  Express.  Passengers  of Haridwar. Besides, introduction of new trains depends on operational feasibility, resource  availability,  traffic  justification,  competing  demands  etc.,

Bhavnagar  may  avail these services for travelling to which is an on-going process.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 992 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: One Station One Product
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Sanjay Seth

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 992 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2023

## ONE STATION ONE PRODUCT

†992. SHRI SANJAY SETH:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of railway stations where stalls are being set up under One Station One Product under the Ranchi Parliamentary constituency;
- (b)  the  features  of  said  scheme  along  with  the  details  and  number  of organisations which have expressed their interest therein;
- (c) whether there is any system in place to monitor the price of platform ticket and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  any such mechanism  is  under  consideration of Government; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?
- the

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a):  At  present,  850  'One  Station  One  Product'  (OSOP)  outlets  are operational  at  782  stations  over  Indian  Railways  including  5  outlets over  Ranchi  Division.  Parliamentary  constituency-wise  data  of  OSOP outlets is not maintained by Indian Railways.
- (b):  'One  Station  One  Product'  (OSOP)  scheme  has  been  launched  by Indian Railways with objectives to promote 'Vocal for Local' vision of the Government  of  India,  provide  a market  for local /indigenous products and create additional income opportunities for the marginalised sections of society. Features of the OSOP scheme are as under:

- ❖ Railways  to  provide  standard  design  outlets-fixed  stalls  /kiosks, portable stalls/trolleys at railway stations for showcasing, selling and giving high visibility to indigenous/local products.
- ❖ The  products  category  is  indigenous/Geographical  Indications  (GI) tagged/local  to  that  place  and  could  include  artefacts,  handicrafts, textiles and handlooms, toys, leather products, traditional appliances/ instruments, garments, gems and jewellery, etc made by local  artisans,  weavers,  craftsmen,  tribes,  etc  and  processed,  semi processed and other food products indigenously  made/grown  in  the area.
- ❖ Individuals  at  the  bottom  of  the  pyramid/marginalised  and  weaker sections and self help groups to be encouraged.
- ❖
- Allotment for a period from 15 days up to 3 months with a nominal registration fee for participation in the Scheme.
- ❖
- Allotment is to be done to all applicants who meet objectives of the scheme on rotation basis.

## The beneficiary category under this scheme includes the following:

- Individual Artisans
- Individual Craftsman
- Individual Weavers
- Tribals
- Farmers
- ●
- Members of Self Help Group
- ●
- Members of Women Self Help Groups
- Members associated with registered Micro Enterprises
- Members  associated  with  Social  Organisations,  State  Govt Bodies, etc
- (c) to (e): At present, the platform tickets are uniformly charged at the rate of ₹ 10.

*****