opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 3747 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Nashik – Pune High Speed Railway Line
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Bachhav Shobha Dinesh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3747

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2024

## NASHIK - PUNE HIGH SPEED RAILWAY LINE

3747.  DR. BACCHAV SHOBHA DINESH:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  land  has  been  acquired  for  the  Nashik-Pune  railway  line and the routes finalised  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor;
- (b)    the  action  being  taken  by  the  Government  for  expediting  the construction of the said Railway line which has been pending for many years; and
- (c)   the details of the time by which it is likely to be started and the target, if any, set for completion of the said Railway Line?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (c):  Pune  to  Nashik  is  already  connected  on  rail  network  via Pune - Kalyan - Nashik (265 Km) and via Pune - Daund - Ahmednagar Manmad - Nashik (387 km).

To  further  improve  this  connectivity,  doubling  work  of  Daund -Manmad (248 Km) line is sanctioned. Out of total 248 km, 178 Km has already  been  commissioned  and  work  in  balance  section  has  been taken up.

Further,  following  Surveys  have  been  sanctioned  for  preparation  of DPR for improving the connectivity.

-  New Double Line between Nashik - Sainagar Shirdi (82 Km)
-  New Double Line between Pune - Ahmednagar (125 Km.)
-  Doubling of Sainagar Shirdi-Puntamba (17 km)

For direct connection between Pune and Nashik, DPR was prepared by Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (MRIDC),  a  Joint  Venture  company  of  Government  of  Maharashtra (50%) and Ministry of Railways (50%).  The proposed alignment in the DPR  was  passing  through  Narayangaon  where  National  Centre  for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), Pune has installed Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) Observatory.  GMRT has users from 31 number of countries (till 28th Cycle) that uses its services for scientific observations. This alignment was not found acceptable due to adverse impact of proposed railway line on operation of the GMRT Observatory.

Therefore,  now  Railway  has  taken  up  the  preparation  of  DPR  for addressing the above issues.  The project is not yet sanctioned.

Sanctioning of Railway projects is a continuous and dynamic process of Indian Railway. Railway infrastructure projects are taken up on the basis  of  remunerativeness,  traffic  projections,  last  mile  connectivity, missing links and alternate routes, augmentation of congested/saturated lines socio-economic considerations etc. depending  upon  liabilities  of  ongoing  projects,  overall  availability  of funds and competing demands.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3741 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: DPDP, Act and Rules
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Dr. Mohammad Jawed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3741

TO BE ANSWERED ON

:

18.12.2024

## DPDP,  ACT AND RULES

## 3741.   DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED:

Will  the  Minister  of  ELECTRONICS  AND  INFORMATION  TECHNOLOGY  be pleased to state:

(a) the current status of developing and implementing rules under the Digital Personal Data  Protection  (DPDP),  Act  and  the  expected  timeline  for  their  finalisation  and enforcement; (b) whether consultations were held with stakeholders in drafting the DPDP rules and if

- so, the details of key feedback received; and
- (c) the steps being taken by the Government to ensure the smooth implementation of the  DPDP,  Act  and  Rules  framed  thereafter  and  the  other  legislations  that  the provisions of the Data Protection Act would have a bearing on them?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) to (c):  The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) received the assent of the  Hon'ble  President  on  11th  August  2023.  Certain  principles  used  in  the  drafting  of  the DPDP Act, like using  simple  language,  avoiding  unnecessary  cross  referencing,  providing contextual definition, and providing illustrations etc. have also been followed in the drafting of DPDP Rules. Following the detailed exercise undertaken during drafting of the DPDP Act, similar  detailed  exercise  for  the  drafting  of  Rules  has  also  been  undertaken.  Elaborate discussions and consultations have been done with various stakeholders including industry bodies, civil societies, government organizations etc. while drafting the Rules. The drafting of the Rules is in the final stage. Further consultation on the DPDP Rules will be done after the publication  of  the  Draft  Rules.  The  provisions  of  DPDP  Act  are  in  addition  to  and  not  in derogation of any other law for the time being in force.

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 3739 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Integration of Jalandhar and Amritsar into Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3739 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2024

## INTEGRATION OF JALANDHAR AND AMRITSAR INTO EASTERN

## DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDOR

3739.  SHRI GURMEET SINGH MEET HAYER:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is planning the integration of vital industrial cities Jalandhar and Amritsar into the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, which currently terminates at Ludhiana; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof including the timeline projected for completion of this project and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) & (b): Ministry of Railways has taken up construction of two Dedicated Freight  Corridors  (DFC)  viz.  Eastern  Dedicated  Freight  Corridor  (EDFC) from Ludhiana to Sonnagar (1337 Km) and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor  (WDFC)  from  Jawaharlal  Nehru  Port  Terminal  (JNPT)  to  Dadri (1506  Km).  Out  of  total  2843  Km,  2741  Route  Kilometers  (96.4%)  has been commissioned and operational, which carried 83,343 freight trains during F.Y. 2024-25 (April to November).

EDFC is fully commissioned and operational, which carried 46,800 freight trains during FY 2024-25 (April to November). EDFC is well connected for both passenger & freight movements with industrial areas of Jalandhar and Amritsar through Indian Railway (IR) network.

The  decision  regarding  sanctioning  of  any  Dedicated  Freight  Corridor depends  on  many  factors  including  traffic  volume,  techno-economic feasibility and financial viability.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3738 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Doubling the Existing Lines in Konkan Railway
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Kota Srinivasa Poojary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3738 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2024

## DOUBLING THE EXISTING LINES IN KONKAN RAILWAY

3738.   SHRI KOTA SRINIVASA POOJARY

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to double the existing lines in the Konkan Railway or implement a patch doubling of the line as per the proposal submitted by Konkan Railway, if so, the details
- thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  any  plans  to  introduce  a  Vande Bharat Sleeper train between Udupi/Mangalore and Mumbai; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (c): There are five shareholders in Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), namely, Ministry of Railways, Government of Maharashtra,  Government  of  Karnataka,  Government  of  Goa  and Government of Kerala. KRCL is registered under Companies Act since 1990.

The infrastructure of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) has become more than 25 years old, requiring major renewal/replacement of  capital  assets  to  ensure  safety  of  traffic.    To  enhance  the  line capacity, doubling of the KRCL line is also required. Part doubling of Roha-Veer section (46.89 kms) in the Ratnagiri region of Konkan Railway has already been completed and commissioned in 2021. However, the doubling of the remaining stretch of approximately 700 km requires substantial investment with contribution from all the shareholding State Governments. Recently, Ministry of Railways has approached State Governments to meet  the  immediate  requirement  of  funds  towards  redemption  of bonds and rehabilitation of two tunnels to ensure safe operations by contributing in proportion to their share. The financial contribution/cooperation of State Governments is essential for such a major investment proposal. At present, Mangaluru- Udupi- Mumbai sector is served by 28 pairs of train  services.  Vande  Bharat  trains  are  already  operating  between Mangalore/UdupiMadgaon and Madgaon-Mumbai route. The introduction of train services, including Vande Bharat's variants, is an ongoing process on Indian Railways, subject to operational feasibility, traffic justification, availability of resources, etc.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3735 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Atal Jyoti Yojana
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3735

ANSWERED ON 18/12/2024

## ATAL JYOTI YOJANA

## 3735. SHRI CHUDASAMA RAJESHBHAI NARANBHAI

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the aims and objectives of the Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY);
- (b) the performance of AJAY Phase-I and Phase-II with a particular reference to Gujarat;
- (c) the districts that have been identified in Phase-I and Phase-II of AJAY in Gujarat; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to cover the remaining districts in Gujarat under PhaseIII which is likely to be launched soon?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF  STATE  FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a)  The  main  objective  of  Atal  Jyoti  Yojna  (AJAY)  was  to  provide  Solar  Street  Lighting Systems for public use at different locations for improvement in quality of life, safety and security through better lighting in public areas.
- (b) Under Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY) Phase-I, against the sanctions issued by respective District Magistrates (DMs) for installation of around 1.45 lakh solar street lights (SSLs), by utilising MPLADS Fund, a total of around 1.35 lakh SSLs could be installed in the country. Similarly, under AJAY Phase-II against the total sanctions issued for around 1.50 lakh SSLs, a total of around 1.37 lakh SSLs were reported installed in the country.
- (c) As per the approved framework, the State of Gujarat was not covered under AJAY PhaseI. Under AJAY Phase-II, the two Aspirational Districts of the State were covered. Based on sanctions received from respective DMs of two aspirational districts, namely Narmada and Dahod, for installation of total 3000 solar street lights (SSLs) in these districts, all the 3000 SSLs were reported installed.
- (d) There is no proposal to launch Phase-III of AJAY.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3734 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Mobile Towers in Odisha
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Pradeep Purohit

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3734 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## MOBILE TOWERS IN ODISHA

## 3734.   Shri Pradeep Purohit:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) the total funds allocated to Odisha for the installation of mobile towers during the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24;

(b) the number of towers installed in Jharsuguda and Bargarh districts, block-wise during these two years;

(c) whether the installation work of mobile towers in these districts has been completed and if not, the reasons for the delay; and

(d) the steps being taken by the Government to ensure completion of towers installation at the earliest?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

(a) to (d) The total amount of Rs. 726 crore has been allocated / disbursed in Odisha for the installation of mobile towers under various Digital Bharat Nidhi's Projects during the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) funded 4G mobile tower projects are implemented across the country including Odisha to provide coverage in uncovered villages. The Agreement between DBN and Implementer provides for completion of the project within the roll-out period.

During these two years, one tower installed in Ambabhona Block, Bargarh District under LWE-II Project. A total of nine towers have been planned under 4G Saturation Project in Jharsuguda (three  towers)  and  Bargarh  District  (six  towers)  out  of  which  as  on  31.10.2024,  two  towers  in Jharsuguda District and one tower in Bargarh district have been installed.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3733 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Wind Energy in Odisha
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Smt. Anita Subhadarshini

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3733

ANSWERED ON 18/12/2024

## WIND ENERGY IN ODISHA

## 3733. SMT. ANITA SUBHADARSHINI

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has set a target of generating eight Giga Watt (GW) wind energy every year from 2023 to 2030 in the country including Odisha;
- (b) if so, the details of the exact capacity of wind energy generated during the last two years;
- (c) the details of the districts identified for generating wind energy in the State of Odisha; and
- (d) the amount of investment for the same in the State of Odisha?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF  STATE  FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a) In line with the Hon'ble Prime Minister's announcement at COP26, Government is working towards achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources, including wind energy, by 2030 in the country.
- (b) The wind energy capacity installed during the last two years, i.e. FY 2022-23 and FY 202324, in the country are 2275.55 MW and 3253.38 MW respectively.
- (c) The wind resource assessment conducted by the National Institute of Wind Energy indicates an estimated wind power potential of about 12129 MW at 150 meter above ground level in the state  of  Odisha.  It  indicates  wind  potential  sites  in  the  district  of  Koraput,  Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Puri, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Balasore and Kendrapara.
- (d) The wind power project at present requires an investment of about Rs 8 crore/ MW. At present, there is no grid connected wind power project installed in the State of Odisha.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3732 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Women Entrepreneurship Platform
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan, Smt. Kamlesh Jangde

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3732

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2024

## WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP PLATFORM

## †3732. SMT. KAMLESH JANGDE: SHRI RAVINDRA SHUKLA ALIAS RAVI KISHAN:

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a) the manner in which the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is likely to be aligned with the Central Women Entrepreneurship Platform to promote women empowerment and entrepreneurship in the Country; and
- (b) the manner in which the local communities are likely to be involved to promote and utilise the WEP in Janjgir-Champa and Telangana?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## (RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

(a) & (b) In 2018, NITI Aayog had launched the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), as an aggregator platform aimed at creating an enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs in India. In 2022,  WEP  transitioned  into  a  public  private  partnership  working  towards  empowering  women entrepreneurs  by  overcoming  information  asymmetry  and  providing  continuum  of  support  for meeting different needs. As a public private partnership initiative, it endeavors to collaborate with Ministries/Departments of Government and other industry stakeholders. In its next phase of growth trajectory and to reach out to the last mile, WEP aims to replicate its unique model at state-levels by establishing state chapters and grow the network through a hub & spoke framework. The first State chapter of WEP has been established in the State of Telangana.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3731 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Strengthening of Statistical Systems
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: Shri Yogender Chandolia

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

LOK SABНА UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3731

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2024

STRENGTHENING THE STATISTICAL SYSTEMS 3731. SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  initiatives  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  to enhance  the  support  for  strengthening  of  statistical  systems  in States/UTs; and
- (b) if so, the details of the achievements made therein?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS  AND  PROGRAMME  IMPLEMENTATION,  MINISTER  OF STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  OF  THE  MINISTRY  OF  PLANNING AND  MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  CULTURE  [RAO

INDERJIT SINGH]

(a) & (b) The Ministry Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) releases Grant in Aid to States/UTs under the ongoing Central Sector sub-scheme Support for Statistical Strengthening (SSS) to strengthen the statistical capacity and operations of state statistical system for collecting,  compiling  and  disseminating  reliable  official  statistics. Under SSS sub-scheme, State /UTs undertake various activities such as, compilation of local level statistics, creation of integrated State databases, studies and surveys to address data gaps, compilation of core indicators at State/Sub-State level, workshops, training programmes  for  statistical personal,  awareness  campaigns  for statistics,  strengthening  of  IT  infrastructure  etc.  So  far  Rs.  346.66 Crore  has  been  released  to  29  States/UTs  for  taking  up  above activities and utilization certificates for Rs. 322.00 Crore have been submitted by the States/UTs. Out of this, 14 States namely, Gujarat, Rajasthan,  Karnataka,  Manipur,  Mizoram,  Sikkim,  Andhra  Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar have completed implementation of the activities for which funds were released. Further, MoSPI also supports States/UTs by knowledge sharing and technical assistance on compilation of various estimates and capacity building of statistical personnel through regular need-based training/workshops and other interactive methods.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3730 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Manufacturing 500 Vande Bharat Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Alok Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3730

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2024

## MANUFACTURING 500 VANDE BHARAT TRAINS

†3730. SHRI ALOK SHARMA

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  plan  to  manufacture 500 new generation Vande Bharat trains in the country in the coming three years, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  sleeper  coaches  in  Vande  Bharat  trains  are  likely  to  be introduced soon;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the timeline for their operation?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (d)  With  a  view  to  provide  better  travel  experience  to  the passengers, Indian Railways introduced first-ever indigenously designed and manufactured semi-high speed Vande Bharat trains with modern coaches, advanced safety features and passenger amenities.

As  on  02nd  December  2024,  136  Vande  Bharat  train  services  are operational  on  the  Broad  Gauge  (B.G.)  electrified  network  of  Indian Railways.

Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains have been planned for long and medium distance  journey.  Design  of  trains  to  be  manufactured  by  Indian Railways has been finalized. At present, 10 Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are  under  production.  The  first  prototype  has  been  manufactured  and will  undergo  field  trials.  The  timeline  of  rollout  of  train  is  subject  to successful completion of the trials.

In  addition,  manufacturing  of  200  Vande  Bharat  Sleeper  Rakes  have also been awarded to Technology partners.

Design  and  Manufacture  of  coaches  including  Vande  Bharat  is  a continuous process and is undertaken based on operational and traffic requirements.

*****