opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 101 (STARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Retail Inflation
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Sushil Kumar Rinku

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *101

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2023

## Retail Inflation

## * 101. SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR RINKU:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  that  the  country's  retail  inflation  is  increasing steeply;
- (b) if so, the details of the inflation at the current rate;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any study to find out the reasons for the increase in inflation;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to bring down the level of inflation in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE FINANCE MINISTER (SMT NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  THE  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION  NO.101 RAISED BY SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR  RINKU  FOR  11 th DECEMBER, 2023 ON 'RETAIL INFLATION'

(a) & (b): India's retail inflation has declined from an average of 7.1 per cent in April-October 2022 to 5.4 per cent in the corresponding period of 2023. The retail inflation is now stable and within the notified tolerance band of 2 per cent to 6 per cent. A steady decline in core inflation, estimated after removing volatile food and fuel items from retail inflation, has been critical in weakening  the  inflationary  pressure  in  the  Indian  economy.  The  core  inflation  has  declined from 5.1 per cent in April 2023 to 4.3 per cent in October 2023.

(c) & (d): After the notification of the inflation tolerance band in 2016, retail inflation in India has been mostly within acceptable limits. Temporary increases in inflation on a few occasions are  caused  by  demand-supply  mismatches  arising  out  of  global  shocks  and  adverse  weather conditions. Proactive supply  side initiatives  by  the  Government  and  effective  demand stabilization measures by the Reserve Bank of India have helped resolve the demand-supply mismatches and to rein in inflation.

(e):  The  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  restrain  inflation  include  strengthening  of buffers  of  key  food  items  and  making  periodic  open  market  releases,  easing  imports  of essential food items through trade policy measures, preventing hoarding through imposition/revision of stock limits, and channelling supplies through designated retail outlets. To ensure food security to the poor, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, providing free food grains to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries, has been extended for a period of five years with  effect  from  1 st January  2024.  In  October  2023,  Government  also  increased  the  subsidy under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana from Rs. 200 to Rs.300 per 14.2 kg cylinder.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1380 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Outstanding Debt of Punjab
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Sukhbir Singh Badal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF EXPENDITURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1380

TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, 11 th  DECEMBER, 2023 20 AGRAHAYANA, 1945 (SAKA)

## Outstanding Debt of Punjab

1380. SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state the total outstanding debt of the Government of Punjab?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

As per the Reserve Bank of India's report titled 'State finances: A study of budgets of 2022-23', the details of total outstanding liabilities of the State Government of Punjab at the end of March 2021, March 2022 (RE) and March 2023 (BE) are as follows:

(Rs. In crore)

| Year (As at end- March)   | Total Outstanding Liabilities of the State of Punjab   |
|---------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 2021 (Actual)             | 2,59,266                                               |
| 2022 (RE)                 | 2,82,456                                               |
| 2023 (BE)                 | 3,05,047                                               |

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 1375 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Abdul Khaleque, Sudarshan Bhagat, Mahesh Sahoo, Sunil Kumar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1375

ANSWERED ON 11.12.2023

## MERA GAON MERI DHAROHAR

1375.  SHRI ABDUL KHALEQUE:

SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT:

SHRI MAHESH SAHOO:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

## Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar Project;
- (b) the number of villages connected through this project across the country and particularly in the North Eastern region;
- (c) the time line to achieve the target connectivity;
- (d) whether all villages are to be connected under the scheme or villages shall be selected on the basis of certain criterion; and
- (e) the budget allocated for the project?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a)      The Government of India has decided to map and document all villages under Mera Gaon Meri  Dharohar  (MGMD)  Programme.    A  web  portal  on  MGMD  has  also  been  launched  on 27.07.2023.    The  MGMD  seeks  to  compile  comprehensive  information  detailing  the  life, history,  and  ethos  of  Indian  villages  and  to  make  the  same  available  to  virtual  and  real-time visitors.  Under  the  MGMD,  information  is  collected  under  seven  broad  categories  as  given below-
-  Arts and Crafts Village
-  Ecologically Oriented Village
-  Scholastic Village linked with Textual and Scriptural Traditions of India
-  Epic Village linked with Ramayana, Mahabharata and/or Puranic legends and oral epics
-  Historical Village linked with Local and National History
-  Architectural Heritage Village

Any other characteristic that may need highlighting, such as fishing village, horticulture village, shepherding village etc. (b) The  project  aims  to  cover  all  the  inhabited  villages  of  India  which  are  marked  as 'village', in the Census List, 2011 published by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, including villages of the North Eastern region. (c) The targeted date for achieving connectivity is 31 st March 2026. (d) The  villages  are  as  per  the  Census  List,  2011  published  by  the  Registrar  General  and Census Commissioner of India. The  Mera  Gaon  Meri  Dharohar  Project  is  a  component  of  the  National  Mission  on Cultural  Mapping  (NMCM).  The  Total  approved  budget  of  the  National  Mission  on  Cultural

(e) Mapping is Rs. 89.99 Crore for the five years i.e. 2021-26.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 1371 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Asian Development Banks (ADB) Loan
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel, Kirit Premjibhai Solanki, Dharmendra Kumar Kashyap, Rajendra Agrawal, Bhola Singh, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Sukanta Majumdar, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Vinod Kumar Sonkar

## Government of India Ministry of Finance

## Department of Economic Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1371

TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2023/ AGRAHAYANA 20, 1945

(SAKA)

## ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANKS (ADB) LOAN

## QUESTION

1371.  SHRI PARBATBHAI SAVABHAI PATEL:

DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI:

SHRI DHARMENDRA KASHYAP:

SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  $400-million  'policy-based  loan'  extended  by  the  Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the Indian Government
- (b) whether the loan is to be utilised for improving the services and infrastructure in the country;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has prepared a roadmap for the utilisation of the funds across various sectors and projects specifically; and
- (e) if so, the details of the projects and the timelines thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

*************

- (a) A $400 million policy-based loan (PBL) has been extended by Asian Development Banks (ADB) under subprogram 2 of the Sustainable Urban Development and  Service  Delivery  Program  to  support  implementation  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U).

(b) to (c) the  amount  is  to  be  provided  through  annual  budgetary  allocation  to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for PMAY-U scheme. (d) to (e): Under PMAY-U, all weather pucca houses with basic civic amenities are provided to eligible  urban families/households. Under the scheme, 30,439 projects have been sanctioned for construction  of  118.63  lakh  houses.  Sanctioned  houses involve an investment of ₹ 8.11 lakh crore with committed central assistance of ₹ 2.00 lakh crore. Of  the  sanctioned  houses,  a  total  of  113.42  lakh  houses  have  been  grounded  for construction; of which 78.27 lakh houses have completed/ delivered to beneficiaries. Central assistance of ₹ 1.54 lakh crore has so far been released for construction of houses under the scheme.

PMAY-U, which was earlier upto 31.03.2022, has since been extended upto 31.12.2024 (except Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) vertical) to complete all the sanctioned houses without changing the funding pattern and implementation methodology. Funds are being released to States/Union Territories to complete all the sanctioned houses within the extended scheme period.

**********
Lok Sabha Question No. 1366 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: India-UK Infrastructure Finance Bridge
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya, Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod, Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MTNISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC  AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTTON NO. 1 366 FOR ANSWER ON tut2t2023

## India-UK  Infrastructure  Finance Bridge

## 1366. SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KTINDARIYA: SHRI DIPSINH SHANKARSINH RAIHOD: SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister  of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) the aims and objectives  of the India-UK infrastructure  Finance Bridge;
- (b) whether the collaborative initiative will result in the long-term growth in the country; and
- (c)  if  so, the details  thereof  as to how this initiative  will support India's national infrastructure  pipeline?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

- (a) The aims and objectives  of the India-UK Infrastructure  Financing  Bridge are:
- i) To suggest  ways to accelerate  the mobilisation  of international  private  sector investment  into Indian sustainable  infrastructure.
- ii) To deliver structured  alrangements  for an identified shelf of projects, focusing  on sustainable  infrastructure  development  in India.
- iii) To work together  towards developing knowledge and best practices  on sustainable infrastructure projects and how these  can be better positioned as investible and attractive to international  investors.
- (b) and (c) Yes sir. This initiative  is aimed at structuring  infrastructure projects through innovative financing mechanisms thereby increasing investment  into infrastructure  projects in India, including those in the National Infrastructure  Pipeline  (NIP).
Lok Sabha Question No. 1365 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Mission Mode Recruitment in Central Universities/IITs
Ministry: Education
Asked by: A. Ganeshamurthi, Andimuthu Raja

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1365 ANSWERED ON 11.12.2023

## Mission Mode Recruitment in Central Universities/IITs

## SHRI A. GANESHAMURTHI:

## 1365 SHRI A. RAJA:

Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that only a few faculty members were recruited in the Central Universities (CUs) during the Mission Mode period while more than 6000 teaching posts are lying vacant in the CUs and if so, the position, institution-wise;

(b)  whether  the  Indian  Institute  of  Technology  (IIT)  has  recruited  only  20  per  cent  faculty members whereas more than 4500 posts are still vacant;

(c)  the  status  of  faculty  position,  vacant  and  filled,  including  reserved  category  in  IITs, institution-wise;

(d) the reasons for the shortfall in respect of recruitment of general candidates, OBC, SC and ST candidates; and

(e) whether the Government has made serious efforts along with institutions to fill all the vacant posts in IITs and CUs, including the reserved category and if so, the time-frame for recruitment and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

(a)  to  (e)  The  Central  Higher  Education  Institutions  (CHEIs)  under  Ministry  of  Education  are statutory autonomous organizations established under respective Central Acts of Parliament and governed by provisions of the Acts/Statutes/Ordinances/Regulations made thereunder. Occurring of vacancies and filling thereof is a continuous process. The vacancies arise due to retirement, resignation and additional requirements on account of enhanced students' strength.

All  CHEIs  are  making  efforts  to  fill  up  the  vacancies  in  Mission  Mode.  Indian  Institute  of Technology (IITs) issue rolling advertisement for faculty recruitment which are open throughout the year in order to attract the best talent to the institution. IITs follow Flexi Cadre System in faculty  positions  to  meet  their  specialized  requirements,  and  do  not  rigidly  divide  the  faculty strength  into  levels  or  departments,  hence  ensuring  flexibility  to  recognize  and  recruit  talent.

From September 2022, Central Universities (CUs) and IITs have also undertaken Mission Mode recruitment  drive  to  fill  the  vacancies  including  those  of  Other  Backward  Classes,  Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. Up to 28.10.2023, a total number of 18,080 posts have been filled up in  Mission  Mode  by  all  CHEIs.  12,588  vacancies  have  been  filled  up  by  CUs  and  IITs collectively, out of which 7895 are faculty positions including 983 SC, 453 ST and 1614 OBC faculty.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1359 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Return of Treasures
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Raja Amareshwara Naik, Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya, Bhola Singh, Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Sukanta Majumdar, Lallu Singh, Vinod Kumar Sonkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1359

ANSWERED ON- 11/12/2023

## RETURN OF TREASURES

## 1359.  SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

SHRI DIPSINH SHANKARSINH RATHOD:

DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

SHRI LALLU SINGH:

SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:-

- (a) the details of the exhibition titled 'Re(ad)dress: Return of Treasures' on the side-lines of the Khajuraho meet;
- (b) the details of the number of artefacts that have returned to India in 2023; and
- (c) the details of the number of artefacts that have returned to India since 2014 and details of the number of artefacts returned to India during 2004-14 period?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION

## (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a) The exhibition titled,  'Re(ad)dress:  Return  of  Treasures'  was  held  from  22 to  28  Feb. 2023  at  the  Convention  Centre,  Khajuraho,  Madhya  Pradesh  amidst  the  backdrop  of Culture Working Group meeting of G20.

Representative  sculptures,  paintings  and  scrolls,  etc.  highlighting  the  value  of  diverse cultural heritage returned from various countries were displayed in the exhibition.

- (b) 115 numbers of antiquities have returned to India in 2023.
- (c) 344  antiquities  have  returned  to  India  since  2014.  One  antiquity  had  returned  to  India during 2004-13.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1357 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Honorarium of Cooks in Mid Day Meal Scheme
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Santosh Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1357

ANSWERED ON- 11.12.2023

## Honorarium of Cooks in Mid Day Meal Scheme

## † 1357. SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to increase the honorarium of cooks working in Mid Day Meal Scheme;
- (b) whether the honorarium of the cooks is equal in all over the country; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

(SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

- (a) to (c): Under PM POSHAN Scheme (earlier known as Mid Day Meal Scheme), the CookCum-Helpers (CCHs) are engaged for preparing and serving hot cooked meals at schools. They are honorary workers who have come forward for rendering social services. As per guidelines of the Scheme, uniform honorarium of Rs. 1000/- per month for 10 months in a year is prescribed for these CCHs in recognition of their services, and the same is being continued.  The  honorarium  expenditure  is  shared  between  the  Central  Government  and States and UTs as per the approved sharing pattern. Moreover, the State Governments and UT Administrations also supplement the honorarium by providing additional funds from their own resources.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1356 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Chinese Companies
Ministry: CORPORATE AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shyam Yadav Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 1356 ANSWERED ON MONDAY, 11 th  DECEMBER 2023 Agrahayana 20, 1945 (Saka)

## CHINESE COMPANIES

## QUESTION

1356.  SHRI SHYAM SINGH YADAV :

Will the Minister of CORPORATE AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

कारपोरेट कार्य मंत्री

- (a) the details of the number of Chinese companies operating in India in the space of providing loans through apps along with their names; and
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  about  the  reports  of  the  shell companies having  their  origins  in  China  operating  in  India  with  Indian directors serving on several boards of different companies and if so, the details of the number of such companies so far and if not, the reasons therefor?

## 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  Corporate Affairs.

सांख्यिकी और कार्यक्रम कार्ायन्वर्न मंत्रालर् क े राज्य मंत्री ( स्वतंत्र प्रभार ) ; र्ोजना मंत्रालर् क े राज्य मंत्री ( स्वतंत्र प्रभार ) और कॉपोरेट मामलों क े मंत्रालर् में राज्य मंत्री।

(Rao Inderjit Singh) ( राव इंद्रजीत ससंह )

(a)     A foreign company (incorporated outside India) may establish a place of  business  in  India  after  complying  with  the  requirements  of  RBI Regulations  and  other  sectoral  requirements,  wherever  applicable  and within 30 days of establishment of such office, seeking registration with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) (Delhi & Haryana) under Section 380 of the Companies Act, 2013 (the Act).

As per information available, there are 53 Chinese foreign companies which have established a place of business in India.  However, no  specific  data  is  maintained  about  the  details  of  business  activities related to providing loan through apps by these companies.

(b) There is no definition of the term 'Shell Company' under the Act. However, in terms of Section 248 (1) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with the  Companies (Removal of Names of Companies from the Register of Companies) Rules, 2016,  the Registrar of Companies may remove the name of a company if it  fails to commence its business within one year of its incorporation or  it is not carrying on any business or operation for a period of two immediately preceding financial years (has not filed their Financial Statements and Annual Returns for a continuous period of two immediately preceding financial year) and has not made any application within such period for obtaining the status of a dormant company. The Registrar of Companies removes name after following the due procedure given in the Rules.  During the period from 1/4/2021 to 28/11/2023 a total 1,55,217  companies have been struck off under section 248 (1) of the Companies Act, 2013.

- *********
Lok Sabha Question No. 1355 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Banking Services in Odisha
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Bhartruhari Mahtab

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1355

Answered on Monday, December 11, 2023/ Agrahayana 20, 1945 (Saka)

## Banking Services in Odisha

## 1355. SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  provide  banking  services  in  unbanked  Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the State of Odisha;
- (b) whether the Government has issued instructions to the Scheduled Commercial Banks to open more no. of Brick & Mortar Branches and ATMs in the unbanked/underbanked GPs in the State of Odisha; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## Answer

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (DR BHAGWAT KARAD)

- (a)  to (c) In terms of revised guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 18 th  May 2017 regarding 'Rationalization of Branch Authorization Policy', the term 'Branch' has been substituted by 'Banking Outlet (BO)' which includes both physical brick and mortar branch and Business Correspondent (BC) outlet to enable banks in expanding their network even in remote rural areas in a cost-effective manner for hassle free services to customers.

Currently, the endeavour of the Government is to ensure availability of banking outlet (Bank branch/  Business  Correspondent/  India  Post  Payments  Bank)  within  5  kilometres  of  all inhabited villages in the country. Availability of banking outlets is monitored by a Geographic Information System (GIS) based App., namely, Jan Dhan Darshak (JDD) App.

Based on the data uploaded by Banks on Jan Dhan Darshak (JDD) App, out of the total number of 47,788 villages in Odisha, 47,747 villages are covered with banking outlets within a radius of 5 kms. The progress of banking infrastructure in the State of Odisha is as under:

| As on Date          | No. of Bank Branches   | No. of Business Correspondents (BCs)   | ATM   | India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)   |
|---------------------|------------------------|----------------------------------------|-------|-----------------------------------|
| October, 2019 5,363 | 7,655                  | 6,344                                  |       | 6,949                             |
| March, 2020 5,736   |                        | 12,043                                 | 6,502 | 6,946                             |
| March, 2021         | 5,784                  | 13,080                                 | 6,637 | 6,945                             |
| March, 2022         | 5,864                  | 16,414                                 | 7,114 | 6,972                             |
| March, 2023         | 5,890                  | 18,871                                 | 7,070 | 7,150                             |
| November, 2023      | 6,058                  | 25,672                                 | 7,020 | 8,357                             |

Source: Jan Dhan Darshak (JDD) app