opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 2569 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Evaluation of Mines
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shri Eatala Rajender, Smt. D K Aruna, Shri Suresh Kumar Shetkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2569 ANSWERED ON 11.12.2024

## Evaluation of Mines

## 2569.   Smt. D K Aruna: Shri Suresh Kumar Shetkar: Shri Eatala Rajender:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government proposes to formulate a comprehensive policy framework to evaluate and rate mines based on various parameters and promote transparency, accountability  and  competition  among  coal/lignite  producers  and  also  champions  best practices  in  environmental  management,  safety  and  operational  efficiency  and  also  the performances of the mines are assessed on the basis of several modules; and

(b)  if  so,  the  details  and  the  present  status  thereof,  State-wise  including  Andhra  Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a) : The Ministry of Coal has issued the Star Rating Policy on March 7, 2019, which was implemented from the financial year 2018-19. This policy aims to evaluate all operating coal and lignite mines based on their performance in complying with rules and regulations related to safety, environmental standards, rehabilitation of project-affected families, worker welfare, adoption  of  best  mining  practices,  use  of  the  latest  and  safest  technologies,  and  economic performance.

A web portal with seven modules was developed to cover various evaluation parameters. The participating mines are awarded Star Rating ranging from No Star to Five Stars based on the  self-evaluation  by  the  mines,  followed  by  validation  by  Coal  Controller  Organization (CCO). This policy fosters competitiveness among all operating coal and lignite mines in a transparent manner.

(b):  The Star Rating of the coal mines from financial years 2018-19 to 2022-23 have been completed and awards were also distributed to Star rated mines. All lignite and coal mines of Coal Bearing States including Chhattisgarh and Telangana are participating in Star Rating. However, no lignite or coal mine of Andhra Pradesh have participated so far.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2567 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Walls, Fencing and Electronic Surveillance of Rail Tracks
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2567 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2024

WALLS, FENCING AND ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE OF RAIL TRACKS 2567.  SHRI MADHAVANENI RAGHUNANDAN RAO:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is considering for making safe rail track in vulnerable and open areas in the country;
- (b) if so, the details of identified areas; and
- (c) the steps proposed to build walls, fencing and electronic surveillance of rail tracks across the country?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (c)  To  improve  safety  in  train  operation,  fencing/boundary  wall  is being provided along the railway tracks to prevent unauthorized trespassing,  encroachment,  entry  of  animals  and  vehicular  traffic  etc. Works  have  been  taken  up  in  a  phased  manner,  prioritizing  the  locations which are considered/ found more vulnerable. About 7,500 km fencing/boundary wall has been constructed up to Nov, 2024.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2566 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Nai Roshni Scheme and Women Empowerment
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Anurag Singh Thakur

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2566 ANSWERED ON 11.12.2024

## NAI ROSHNI SCHEME AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

## 2566.  SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the achievements of the Nai Roshni Scheme  in empowering women  from  minority communities;
- (b) the number of beneficiaries trained under the scheme and the key skills imparted;
- (c)  the  challenges  faced  in  implementing  the  scheme  and  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to address them; and
- (d)  the  initiatives  introduced  by  the  Government  to  ensure  sustainable  livelihoods  for  women beneficiaries?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a)  &  (b):  Under  Nai  Roshni scheme,  which was launched in 2012-13, about 4.35 lakh minority women were trained to empower and enhance confidence by generating awareness about women rights and interventions for 'Leadership Development', health and hygiene, legal rights of women, financial literacy, digital literacy, swachch bharat, life skills and advocacy for social and behavioral changes.

(c) & (d):  The challenges faced in implementing the schemes related to awareness level among the target  group,  capacity  building  of  training  providers,  increasing  the  scale  of  the  scheme,  and  its delivery through various stakeholders. Considering the challenges faced in implementation of the scheme  and  recommendations  from  various  stakeholders,  the  Nai  Roshni  scheme  has  been subsumed under an integrated scheme Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) which converges  five  erstwhile  skilling  and  empowerment  schemes  of  the  Ministry  and  inter  alia  lays emphasis on community-level aspirations and challenges, mainstreaming them and improving the socio-economic  conditions  through  exposure  to  relevant  modern  skills.  The  Leadership  and Entrepreneurship sub-component of the PM VIKAS scheme focuses on imparting skill training to minority women for providing them sustainable economic livelihood opportunities and setting up enterprises/ self-employment  ventures  through  inter-alia  establishing  linkages  with  financial institutions such as NMDFC, Banks, NBFCs.
Lok Sabha Question No. 2565 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Bhartiya Antriksh Space Station
Ministry: SPACE
Asked by: Shri Dulu Mahato, Shri Dineshbhai Makwana, Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Shri Bidyut Baran Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## DEPARTMENT OF SPACE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2565

TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2024

## BHARTIYA ANTRIKSH SPACE STATION

2565.  SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI DULU MAHATO:

SHRI DINESHBHAI MAKWANA:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the goals of establishing Bhartiya Antriksh Space Station to enhance possibilities of future exploration programmes; and
- (b) the details of the scheduled ambitious indigenous programmes to achieve India's Space Vision 2047?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):

****

- (a) The  vision  for  space  in  the  Amrit  kaal  envisages  including other  things,  establishing  an  operational  Bharatiya  Antariksh Station  (BAS)  by  2035  and  Indian  Crewed  Lunar  Mission  by

2040.  BAS  will  be  the  first  National  Space  Laboratory  to conduct multidisciplinary microgravity experiments and studies in the fields  of  Science,  Technologies,  Medicine, Agriculture, Space manufacturing, among others. BAS will also be  acting  as  platform  for  global  &  national  collaboration, gateway to  lunar  exploration  &  beyond  and  to  help  boosting the Space Economy of the country.

ISRO has initiated development of various technologies for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station. These technologies will be demonstrated through precursor missions for BAS, which has been recently approved by the Government as part of revision in Gaganyaan programme.

- (b) Department of Space leap towards India's Space Vision 2047 with the approvals of key Missions which includes,
-  Establishment  of  1 st   module  Bharatiya  Anthariksh  Station (BAS) by 2028,
-  Development of Next Generation of satellite Launch Vehicle  (NGLV)  (re-usable  Low-cost  launch  vehicle)  by 2032,
-  Chandrayaan-4  by  2027,  to  develop  and  demonstrate  the technologies  to  come  back  to  Earth  after  successfully landing on the Moon and also collect moon samples, and
-  Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) by 2028, to study the Venusian  surface  and  subsurface,  atmospheric  processes and influence of Sun on Venusian Atmosphere.

****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2559 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: 'Viksit Bharat 2047'
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: Shri Benny Behanan, Shri Hibi Eden, Shri K Sudhakaran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2559

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2024

## 'VIKSIT BHARAT 2047'

## 2559.   SHRI K SUDHAKARAN:

SHRI HIBI EDEN:

SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of total number of people consulted during the process of preparing the 'Viksit Bharat 2047' roadmap, State-wise and Sector-wise;
- (b) whether the Government will release a formal report summarising the consultations and suggestions  gathered  from  citizens  for  the  'Viksit  Bharat  2047'  vision,  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (c) the actions the Government proposes to take in response to concerns raised by RTI activists regarding the lack of accessible records of these consultations?

## 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) Inputs  were  received  from  over  14  lakh  people  during  the  process  of  preparing  the  'Viksit Bharat  @2047',  through  consultations  and  online  submissions,  by  different  Ministries  and Sectoral Group of Secretaries.
- (b) NITI Aayog is coordinating with various Sectoral Groups of Secretaries in  consolidating  the 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision document.
- (c) Responses to RTIs are being provided based on the extant guidelines.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2557 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Launching of Super App for Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Bastipati Nagaraju, Shri B K Parthasarathi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2557 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2024

## LAUNCHING OF SUPER APP FOR RAILWAYS

2557.   SHRI B K PARTHASARATHI  : SHRI BASTIPATI NAGARAJU :

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is planning to launch a super app for the railways that will provide a range of services, including ticket booking, train tracking, and other railway-related tasks;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  services  that  consumers would be able to avail from the app; and
- (c)    the  timeline  by  which  the  app  will  be  launched  for  commercial usage along with the cost of developing the app?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (c) : Indian Railways  is developing a passenger  service focussed app.  Passengers will be able to avail unreserved ticketing, lodge complaints, check train availability and many more functions in a single app.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2553 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Free Doordarshan DTH Services
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Shri Selvam G, Shri C N Annadurai, Shri Navaskani K

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2553

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2024)

FREE DOORDARSHAN DTH SERVICES

2553.  Shri Selvam G:

Shri C N Annadurai:

Shri Navaskani K:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a) the current reach and coverage of free  Doordarshan  DTH services across the country;
- (b) whether there are any plans to expand coverage in regions with poor terrestrial or cable connectivity;
- (c) the  number  of  free  Doordarshan  DTH  connections  distributed across the country during the last three years, State/UT-wise;
- (d) whether  any  specific  categories,  such  as  Below  Poverty  Line (BPL)  families  or  rural  households  are  prioritized  for  receiving free DTH connections;
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to ensure equitable distribution of such connections in remote and tribal areas;
- (f) whether the distribution of free DTH connections has significantly  increased  the  viewership  of  Doordarshan  channels in rural and remote areas and if so, the details thereof; and
- (g) whether  any  feedback  mechanism  is  in  place  to  assess  the satisfaction and impact of free DTH services on beneficiaries and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

(DR. L. MURUGAN)

(a) to (g): Doordarshan (DD) Free Dish is a free-to-air DTH service that has full coverage across the country. In case of Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) Islands, a special 10 channel C-Band Satellite DTH service is in operation. Presently, about 45 million TV homes in India have DD Free Dish (industry estimate).

The DD Free Dish is widely available across the country.

****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2551 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Master Clock System
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri V K Sreekandan

## GOVERNMENT  OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2551

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2024

## MASTER CLOCK SYSTEM

2551: SHRI V K SREEKANDAN

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

- (a) whether Railways is developing a master clock system for synchronizing  time  with  the  applications  and  systems  across  its network and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  zonal  railways  across  the  country  use  various  systems sourcing time from different sources and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Railway Board had constituted a high level committee to coordinate with the Research Designs and Standards Organization to finalise  the  architecture  for  the  master  clock  system  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (d) whether the said organization of the railways demonstrated  a prototype for the master clock system and synchronisation between different applications and systems, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Railways will soon dispense with the method of station masters setting time on the instructions of section controllers and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (e):   In order to synchronize the time uniformly across all system, a working  group  has  been  constituted  for  studying  the  existing  system  of time  synchronization  for  different  applications/system  and  finalizing  the architecture of Master Clock System for Indian Railways.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2541 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: 6G Plan in BSNL and MTNL
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Adv K. Francis George

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2541 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## 6G PLAN IN BSNL AND MTNL

## 2541.   ADV K. FRANCIS GEORGE:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) the role of BSNL and MTNL in promoting the development and adoption of 6G technology in India, particularly in rural and underserved areas;

(b) the manner in which BSNL and MTNL are contributing to bridging the digital divide in villages by providing low-cost internet services;

(c) the specific initiatives undertaken by BSNL and MTNL to ensure high-speed internet access to all rural areas; and

(d) the  manner  in  which  the  Government  plans  to  further  leverage  the  relatively  low  prices offered by BSNL and MTNL to expand digital infrastructure across the country?

## ANSWER

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

( a ) to ( d ) BSNL is installing indigenously developed one lakh 4G sites across the country . The equipment is 5G upgradable.

BSNL  is  entrusted  with  ambitious  projects  of  the  Government  to  provide  coverage  to uncovered  villages  in  the  country  including  rural  and  underserved  areas,  such  as  4G  Saturation Scheme, Boarder Out Post (BOP)/Boarder Intelligence Post (BIP), Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and augmentation of telecom infrastructure in Lakshadweep Islands etc.

Further, Amended Bharatnet program has been approved by the Union Cabinet on 04.08.2023 to improve penetration of high speed FTTH broadband in rural areas, wherein there is a provision to provide 1.5Cr  FTTH  connections  distributed  across all States/UT's. BSNL  is  the  Project Management Agency for this scheme.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2540 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: BSNL and MTNL Services for the MP's
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Murari Lal Meena

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2540 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## BSNL AND MTNL SERVICES FOR THE MP'S

## †2540.  SHRI MURARI LAL MEENA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken any steps to address the problems, particularly the issue of network and data coverage, in the services being provided by BSNL and MTNL to the Members of Parliament, if so, the details thereof;

- (b) whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  special  scheme  to  improve  and  expand  the networks of BSNL and MTNL to provide high quality data services, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(c) whether the Government is taking any steps to integrate the networks of these two PSUs (BSNL and MTNL) or to improve their connectivity, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

( a ) to ( c ) To improve the telecom services, BSNL has placed purchase order for procurement of one lakh indigenously developed 4G sites for pan India deployment . As on 06 . 12 . 2024, 61,492 sites  have  been  installed  and  51,135  4G  sites  are  ON -Air . Further,  BSNL  has  taken  over  the Operation and Maintenance ( O&M ) of mobile services from MTNL in Delhi w . e . f . 01 . 04 . 2021 and in Mumbai from 01 . 09 . 2021 .

To further expand the network coverage in rural and remote areas, BSNL is implementing various projects such as 4G Saturation Scheme, B order Out Post ( BOP )/ Border Intelligence Post ( BIP ) ,  Left Wing Extremism and augmentation of telecom infrastructure in Lakshadweep Islands etc .

Further, Amended Bharatnet program has been approved by the Union Cabinet on 04 . 08 . 2023 with an outlay of Rs. 1.39 Lakh Crores to extend fiber to all Gram Panchayats and villages on demand basis, including provisions for 1.5 Crores high speed FTTH broadband connections in rural areas . BSNL is the Project Management Agency for this scheme .

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2538 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Wi-Fi Services at  Railway Stations
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Ajay Kumar Mandal

## GOVERNMENT  OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2538

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2024

## WI-FI SERVICES AT RAILWAY STATIONS

2538: SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS  be  pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Railway stations currently having Internet and  WiFi services in Malda and Sonepur Rail Divisions including Bhagalpur Parliamentary Constituency;
- (b) whether RailTel proposes to provide broadband and Wi-Fi facilities  in  the  remote  villages  under  the  Prime  Minister  Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM Wani) project and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  RailTel  has  the  infrastructure  and  equipment  to extend their services in the villages and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the time by which the said proposal is likely to be implemented?
- ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (d): Presently Internet and Wi-Fi services have been provided at 6112 Railway Stations over Indian Railways including 67 stations in  Malda  Divison  and    67  stations  in  Sonepur  Division.  Bhagalpur Parliamentary constituency is covered by Malda and Sonpur Division.

RailTel's  broadband  service-RailWire  is  a  collaborative  model  for providing broadband services across India subject to feasibility for the  location.  Presently,  RailTel  is  providing  broadband  services  in more than  17000  villages  and  serving  3.26  lakhs  rural  subscribers under this model.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2536 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Paddy Procurement Crisis
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.2536 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 ITH DECEMBER, 2024

## PADDY PROCUREMENT CRISIS

2536. SMT. HARSIMRAT KAURBADAL:

Will  the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION 3mtq7 qq8,  um  a(  tiT#gfjq  fbHwr git be pleased to  state:

- (a) whether the Union  Government is aware of  the  fact that Punjab is  facing its worst  paddy procurement  crisis in over 25 years despite favourable weather conditions;
- (b) if  so, the reasons for delays in the procurement process;
- (c) whether the Union  Government didn't  procure last year's 2  lakh tonnes of  rice from  millers, causing State godowns to overflow  while  blocking  the movement of wheat and rice;
- (d) if  so, the reasons thereof; and
- (e) the manner in  which  the  Union  Government is  responding to  private  rice  millers'  refUsal to store paddy due to  storage limitations,  issues with  hybrid  paddy varieties not  meeting FCI  standards and challenges with  labour  and commission  arrangements?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

(a)&(b): The period of paddy procurement for KMS  2024-25 in  the State of  Punjab was from 01.10.2024 to 30.11.2024. A  quantity of  172 Lakh MT  paddy has been procured through arhatiyas by the State govt. agencies including  FCI against reported total arrival  of  173 LMT in mandi of Punjab. Almost  entire paddy has been lifted  and stored in  the state allotted Rice h4ills

Apart  from  1823 regular  notified  mandies, 951 Public  places cum  temporary  yards  and 475 rice mills  cum temporary yards were made operational by the State Govt. for  paddy procurement at MSP.

(c) and (d): in Kharif  Marketing Season KMS  2023-24, out of 125.13 LMT  rice due, 125.05 LMT  has been delivered to Central pool  leaving balance only 0.08 LMT.

(e): Creation /vacation of  godown for receipt /storing  incoming stocks is a continuous process by moving out the already stored foodgrains stocks. In order to made additional storage capacity available for receipt/storage of rice after milling of current crop of paddy, measures like  prioritising  movement/evacuation of wheat stocks kept in  covered godowns in the State, additional storage capacity hiring,  additional outward movement of rice from Punjab are being resorted to.

Almost entire paddy has been allocated to 4855 registered millers by the State Govt. Agencies for its storage under joint  custody and milling.

With respect to issues regarding new hybrid varieties of paddy grown in Punjab, a study has been entrusted to IIT  Kharagpur on yield related issue.

Total  process of  paddy procurement has been completed through  the  commission Agents, Labour  contractor and Transport  Contractor.

888++