Lok Sabha Question No. 1136 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: Connectivity to Khandwa Railway Station
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Gyaneshwar Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1136 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2023

## CONNECTIVITY TO KHANDWA RAILWAY STATION

1136.   SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has any plans to develop Khandwa to Akola rail section and if so, the details thereof;

- (b)  the  details  of  budget  allocated  or  likely  to  be  allocated  by  the Railways to enhance the connectivity of Khandwa railway station with other section for better connectivity and transportation, if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  the  details  of  the  ongoing  railway  projects  for  upgrading  the  rail facilities in the parliamentary constituencies of Khandwa and Burhanpur?

ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (c) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1136 BY SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 26.07.2023 REGARDING CONNECTIVITY TO KHANDWA RAILWAY STATION

(a) to (c): Yes, Sir. Akola-Khandwa (174 km)  Gauge conversion has been  taken  up  as  a  part  of  Ratlam-Mhow-Khandwa-Akola  Gauge conversion project costing ₹ 6383 crore. An expenditure of ₹ 2791 cr has been incurred upto March 2023 and 283 km length including 44 km Akola-Akot section (part of Akola-Khandwa) has been commissioned.  An  outlay  of ₹ 700  crore  has  been  provided  for  the project for financial year 2023-24. In Akola-Khandwa (174 km) section, 44 km length of Akola-Akot has been commissioned and work taken up  in Amalkhurd-Khandwa (55 km) section in available land. Akot-Amalkhurd (75 km)section passes through Melghat forest reserve. As approval for gauge conversion on existing alignment was not received for long time, therefore, it has been decided to take the alignment outside  Melghat Tiger Reserve area. Land acquisition and forestry clearance for diverted alignment between Akot-Amalkhurd section has been taken up. Railway projects are sanctioned Zonal Railway wise not Parliamentary  Constituency  wise  as  Railway  projects  may  span across Parliamentary constituencies. Khandwa and Burhanpur constituency falls in Madhya Pradesh As on 01.04.2023, 32 Railway infrastructure projects (08 new lines, 77,797  crore  for

02  gauge  conversion  and  22  doubling),  costing ₹

5,539 km  length falling fully/partly in Madhya  Pradesh  are in planning/approval/construction stage.  Out of which, 1,557 km length has  been  commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ₹ 31,111  crore  has been incurred upto March 2023. Railway  projects  falling  fully/partly  in  Madhya  Pradesh  are  covered under  North  Central  Railway,  North  Western  Railway,  West  Central Railway,  East  Central  Railway,  Western  Railway,  Central  Railway, South  Central  Railway  and  South  East  Central  Railway  Zones  of Indian Railways. The details of Railway projects including allotment of  funds  and  expenditure  project-wise  and  Zonal  Railway  wise  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), Pink Book (year)>Railway wise Works Machinery & Rolling Stock Programme. Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in Budget allotment for infrastructure projects and commensurate commissioning. Average  annual  Budget  allocation  for  infrastructure  projects  and safety  works,  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Madhya  Pradesh, during 2014-19 has been enhanced to ₹ 4,213 crore per year, which is 567% more than average annual Budget allocation of ₹ 638 crore per year  during  2009-14.  The  allocation  has  been  increased  to ₹ 6,906 crore  in  Financial  Year  2019-20  (993%  more  than  average  annual Budget allocation of 2009-14), ₹ 6,509 crore in Financial Year 2020-21 (930% more than the average annual Budget allocation of 2009-14)

and ₹ 9,041  crore  in  Financial  Year  2021-22  (1331%  more  than  the average  annual  Budget  allocation  of  2009-14). ₹ 12,110  crore  for Financial  Year  2023(1816%  more  than  the  average  annual  Budget allocation  of  2009-14).  For  financial  year  2023-24,  highest  ever Budget  allocation  of ₹ 13,607  crore  has  been  provided  for  these projects,  which  is  2053%  more  than  the  average  annual  Budget allocation of 2009-14 ( ₹ 632 crore per year). During 2014-23, 1741 km sections (293 km New line, 636 km Gauge conversion and 812 km Doubling), falling fully/partly  in  the  state  of Madhya  Pradesh,  have  been  commissioned  at  an  average  rate  of 193.44  km  per  year,  which  is  567%  more  than  average  annual commissioning achieved during 2009-14 (29 km per year).

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