opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 131 (STARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Construction of Rail Overbridge
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Anand Bhadauria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO.131 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2024

## CONSTRUCTION OF RAIL OVERBRIDGE

## *131 SHRI ANAND BHADAURIA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether the Government is aware that people have to cross      railway line  at  Hargaon  Railway  Line,  Sitapur,  Uttar  Pradesh  for  access  to Sitapur-Lakhimpur four lane road which is causing huge inconvenience and it can lead to accidents;
- (b)     if so, the details thereof;
- (c)    whether  the  Government  proposes  to  construct  rail  overbridge  at Hargaon connecting four lane Sitapur-Lakhimpur road to avoid inconvenience and accidents;
- (d)     if so, the details thereof and timeframe fixed for the same; and
- (e)     if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

*****

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 131 BY SHRI ANAND BHADAURIA TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 31.07.2024 REGARDING CONSTRUCTION OF RAIL OVERBRIDGE (a)  to  (e):  Sanctioning  of  works  of  Road  Over  Bridge  (ROB)/Road  Under Bridge (RUB) in lieu of Level Crossings (LCs) is a continuous and dynamic process  of  Indian  Railway.  Such  works  are  taken  up  on  the  basis  of  its impact  on  safety  in  train  operations,  mobility  of  trains  &  impact  for  road users and feasibility, availability of funds etc. The  progress  of  Road  Over  Bridges  (ROBs)/Road  Under  Bridges

(RUBs) constructed on Indian Railways during 2004-14 vis a vis during 201424 is as under:

| Period   | ROBs/RUBs constructed     |
|----------|---------------------------|
| 2004-14  | 4,148 Nos.                |
| 2014-24  | 11,945 Nos. ( 2.88 times) |

There  is  a  manned  Level  Crossing  (LC)  No.  97/C  at  Sitapur  end  of  the Hargaon station.  Other LC No. 98/B exists at a distance of about 250m from Mailani  end  of  the  Hargaon  station.    These  level  crossings  are  used  by public to cross railway track to access Sitapur - Lakhimpur road.  Presently, Railways is preparing a feasibility report for ROB/RUB at LC No. 97/C. *****
Lok Sabha Question No. 129 (STARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Modernisation of Post Offices
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Dr. M K Vishnu Prasad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 129 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 ST  JULY, 2024

## MODERNISATION OF POST OFFICES

## *129   DR. M K VISHNU PRASAD:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of post offices across the country along with the total number of saving accounts in these post offices and the facilities provided to the account holders;
- (b) whether post offices have been established in all the major villages in the country to ensure the smooth implementation of communication systems;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether all post offices in the country have been equipped with modern technology; and
- (e) if so, the specifics of these modernization efforts?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION (SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA)

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

## STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 129 FOR 31 ST  JULY, 2024 REGARDING 'MODERNISATION OF POST OFFICES.'

(a) There  are  1,64,987  post  offices  (Head  Post  Offices,  Sub-Post  Offices  and  Branch  Post Offices)  across  the  country  having  7,50,63,197  Savings  Accounts  in  these  post  offices  as  on 31.03.2024.

The  savings  account  holders  have  the  facility  of  availing  the  Automated  Teller  Machine (ATM), Issuance of Cheque book, Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, various types of SMS alerts, e-Passbook for viewing the balance and account statement, Funds transfer from bank accounts to post  office accounts and vice versa through National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), Electronic Clearing Services (ECS) facility for crediting the interest and maturity amount in bank accounts, Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) facility under Core Banking System (CBS).

(b) & (c) There are 1,49,164 post offices (Head Post Offices, Sub-Post Offices and Branch Post Offices) in rural areas covering all villages of the country.

(d) & (e) All Departmental Post Offices in the country have been computerized and networked under the Information Technology (IT) Modernization Project.  Branch post offices functioning in rural areas of the country have been provided with mobile devices for carrying out online postal, financial and insurance transactions

********
Lok Sabha Question No. 127 (STARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Operational Safety of Nuclear Power Plants
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Rao Rajendra Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 127

ANSWERED ON- 31.07.2024

## OPERATIONAL SAFETY OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

- *127.  SHRI RAO RAJENDRA SINGH:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  any  discrepancies  in  the  operational  safety  of nuclear power plants operating in the country and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government is aware of any long term deformities or diseases seen in the population  surrounding  such  nuclear  plants  including  Rajasthan  Atomic  Power  Plant (RAPP) in Kota and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government is keen on establishing more such nuclear power plants and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether the Government has established a Nuclear Fuel Complex in Kota, Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof and if not, the character of the Nuclear Complex established in the city?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (d): A statement is placed on the Table of the House.

*****

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (D) IN RESPECT OF LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  127  FOR  REPLY    ON  31.07.2024 REGARDING  OPERATIONAL SAFETY OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS ASKED BY SHRI RAO RAJENDRA SINGH.

- (a) There are no discrepancies in operational safety of nuclear power plants.  Nuclear power plants are operated by highly trained personnel licensed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), in line with laid down procedures. These procedures are periodically reviewed and upgraded as required.
- (b) Epidemiological survey for heath assessment in respect of employees working in the nuclear power plants and their families, who stay in the nearby township and villages, have been carried out for the nuclear power plant sites by reputed local medical colleges and the analysis has been carried out by Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, the premier cancer research centre of the country. All these studies have established that there are no adverse effects of the operation of the nuclear power plants on the people living in and around the plants.
- (c) Yes. In this regard, presently nine (9) nuclear power reactors with a total capacity of 7300 MW are under construction and twelve reactors with a capacity of 8000 MW under preproject activities.
- (d) A greenfield Project 'Setting up of a new production facility of Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) at Rawatbhata, Kota, Rajasthan consisting of PHWR Fuel Fabrication Facility (PFFF) and Zircaloy Fabrication Facility (ZFF)' to produce 500TPY of fuel tubes with an  outlay  of  Rs.4256.20  crores  is  in  advanced  stages  of  completion  at  Rawatbhata, Chittorgarh Dist., Rajasthan which is about 50Km away from the city of Kota.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 122 (STARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Digital India Initiative
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Vijay Baghel, Shri Naba Charan Majhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 122 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 ST  JULY, 2024

## DIGITAL INDIA INITIATIVE

## *122   SHRI VIJAY BAGHEL: SHRI NABA CHARAN MAJHI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the Digital India initiative in tier-2 and tier-3 cities;
- (b) the status of the reach of internet connections in villages; and
- (c) the details regarding increase in the number of internet users since 2014?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION (SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA)

- (a) to (c) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 122 FOR 31 ST  JULY, 2024 REGARDING 'DIGITAL INDIA INITIATIVE.'

(a) Under Digital India Initiative,  various  technology-led startups and  innovation  schemes like Technology  Incubation  and  Development  of  Entrepreneurs  (TIDE  2.0),  Gen-Next  Support  for Innovative Startups (GENESIS), domain specific Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and Next Generation Incubation Scheme (NGIS) have been undertaken with a total funding outlay of around Rs 800 crore in the country including tier-2 and tier-3 cities. In addition, Government had launched India BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) Promotion Scheme (IBPS) & North East BPO Promotion Scheme (NEBPS)  by  setting  up  of  246  units  of  BPO  operations  across  27  States/UTs  of  the  country distributed across 104 small cities/towns.

(b) As of March 2024, out of a total Internet Subscribers of 954.40 million in India there are 398.35 million Rural Internet Subscribers. Further, as of April 2024, out of 6,44,131 villages in the country (villages data as per Registrar General of India), 6,12,952 villages are having 3G/4G mobile connectivity. Thus, 95.15 % villages are having access to internet.

(c) The total internet subscribers in the country have increased from 251.59 million as on March 2014 to 954.40 million in March 2024 at Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.26%.

********
Lok Sabha Question No. 1610 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Decline in the production of Patriotic Films
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Shri Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1610 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2024

## DECLINE IN THE PRODUCTION OF PATRIOTIC FILMS

## 1610:  SHRI BHAUSAHEB RAJARAM WAKCHAURE:

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

- a) whether there has been a huge decline in the production of patriotic films during recent times;
- b) if so, the reasons thereof;
- c) the number of patriotic films produced and telecast on Doordarshan till date during the last three years;
- d) whether  the  Government  propose  to  encourage  the  production  of  such  films  and  curb element of violence in films;
- e) if so, the details thereof; and
- f) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (DR. L. MURUGAN)

(a) & (b):  The production of films happens broadly through the Film industry and as such no statistics are maintained regarding nature of content, including patriotic content etc, produced in the country.

(c):  However, National  Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has produced 1 (One) coproduction film and 13 documentary films related to patriotic content during the last three years.    In  addition,  during  the  last  three  years,  Doordarshan  has  telecast  22  films  with patriotic content.

(d)  to  (f):  The  films  containing  scenes/dialogues  (audio/visual) of violence are certified by the Central Board of Film Certification strictly in adherence to the guidelines issued under section 5-B of Cinematograph Act.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1607 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Uninterrupted 3G/4G/5G Connections in Chennai Constituency
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Dr. T Sumathy Alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1607 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 ST  JULY, 2024

## UNINTERRUPTED 3G/4G/5G CONNECTIONS IN CHENNAI CONSTITUENCY

## 1607   DR. T SUMATHY ALIAS THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) the effective  steps  taken  by  the Government  to increase the teledensity in Chennai  South Parliamentary constituency and also to provide uninterrupted 3G/4G/5G connections in the areas falling thereunder;

(b) whether the Government is facing problem in BSNL which still owes a huge amount in the form of 'refund' to the erstwhile subscribers who have surrendered their landline and broadband connections during the last five years;

(c) if so, the details thereof and the total number of customers who disconnected the services of BSNL in the last five years; and

(d) the steps taken/being taken by the BSNL for mitigating the signal and network issues faced by the customers of BSNL, Tamil Nadu circle especially in Chennai South constituency?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (d) In Chennai  District 26,505 Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs)  are providing 2G/3G/4G/5G mobile connectivity.

Government through funding from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) is implementing  various  schemes,  including  4G  Saturation  Scheme,  for  providing  mobile  network coverage in all uncovered villages in the country, including Tamil Nadu.

BSNL is rolling out indigenously developed 4G telecom stack to provide improved quality of mobile services.

(b) & (c) The BSNL subscribers who have surrendered landline and broadband connections are being refunded after deducting the dues. Refund does not apply in case of conversion to FTTH. The details of BSNL broadband and FTTH disconnections in last five years are as under:

| Year    | Broadband   | FTTH     |
|---------|-------------|----------|
| 2019-20 | 14,01,200   | 1,20,603 |
| 2020-21 | 9,54,240    | 1,81,552 |
| 2021-22 | 33,56,639   | 3,94,512 |
| 2022-23 | 6,09,760    | 6,02,306 |
| 2023-24 | 11,23,005   | 7,83,781 |

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1605 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Bharatnet Scheme Phase II
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Dr. Gumma Thanuja Rani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1605 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 ST  JULY, 2024

## BHARATNET SCHEME PHASE II

## 1605   DR. GUMMA THANUJA RANI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) the reasons due to which Bharatnet Scheme Phase II is yet not complete even after four years of the original deadline;

- (b) the steps taken to resolve the challenges and achieve the target on time; and
- (c) the details of the total network in Andhra Pradesh and the time remaining for completion?

## ANSWER

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

(a) BharatNet  scheme  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity to all the 2.6 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country. Under BharatNet Phase-II, as on 30.06.2024, 88,239 GPs (91%) out of the scope of 96,967 GPs have been made service ready on Optical fibre, and 4984 GPs (96.5%) out of 5166 GPs in difficult terrain have been made service ready on satellite.

- (b) The steps taken to resolve the challenges and complete the target on time are:
- i) Regular  review  meetings  and  video  conferences  are  being  conducted  to  monitor  for expeditious completion of project. Meetings are also held to resolve the dispute between state SPVs and their Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs).
- ii) Timely disbursal of funds for execution of work, a soon as the project milestone is achieved under Phase-II.
- iii) Resolving the pending ROW issues with concerned agencies.

(c) In Andhra Pradesh, all 12,955 GPs planned under BharatNet Phase-I & II have been made service ready. Around 526 newly created GPs are planned in the next phase under the Amended BharatNet Program.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1604 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Washing Line Facility at Supaul Railway Station of Samastipur Division
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Dileshwar Kamait

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1604 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2024

WASHING LINE FACILITY AT SUPAUL RAILWAY STATION OF SAMASTIPUR

DIVISION

†1604 SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to provide the washing line facility at  Supaul  railway  station  of  Samsastipur  division  under  East  Central Railway  to  give  benefit  to  Supaul  district  having  approximately  20  lakh population;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  long  distance  trains  are  not  running  from  Supaul  railway station in the absence of washing and watering facility;
- (d)  if so, whether the Government proposes to provide all the facilities at the  said  station  for  modernizing  the  Supaul  railway  station  as  well  as operating new trains from there;
- (e)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  provide  halt  at  Belhi  between Nirmali  railway  station  and  Ghogardiha  railway  station  of  Samastipur division  under  East  Central  Railway  so  as  to  give  benefit  of  railway transport facility to 50000 people; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  &  (b):  Pit  Line  facilities  are  planned  and  executed  as  per operational and maintenance requirement.

At present, the washing line facility available at Saharsa Railway Station is  sufficient  to  fulfill  the  present  requirement  of  washing  line  facility  at

Supaul and nearby area.

(c)  &  (d):  Supaul  is  presently  being  served  by  01  pair  of  Mail/Express service and 06 pair of Passenger service including 05279/05280 SaharsaSupaul  DEMU  introduced  w.e.f.  16.07.2024.    For  availing  long  distance trains,  inter-alia  trains,  passengers  may  avail  changeover  at  Saharsa station.    Besides,  introduction  of  new  trains  is  an  ongoing  process  over Indian  Railways  subject  to  traffic  justification,  operational  feasibility, resource availability etc. The  Supaul  Station  has  been  identified  for  development  under  Amrit Bharat scheme. (e)  &  (f):  Opening of  halt station is an ongoing process subject to traffic justification, operational feasibility etc.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1603 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Auction of Coal Blocks
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shri Asaduddin Owaisi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1603 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2024

## Auction of Coal Blocks

## 1603. Shri Asaduddin Owaisi:

Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  there  is  plan  to  auction  coal  blocks  with  a  view  to  privatise  Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. (SCCL); and
- (b) whether it is a fact that the Government  has not considered allocating blocks to SCCL and has rather chosen the auction route and if so, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)       There is no such plan to auction coal blocks with a view to privatize Singareni Collieries Company Limited. Auctions of coal blocks is a continuous process where both government and private companies can participate.
- (b)     As per the policy followed for allocation of coal blocks, all the coal blocks are now being offered for allocation by way of auctions for sale of coal.  A High-Level Committee (HLC) headed by Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog on Mines, Mineral and Coal sectors  was  constituted  on  29.03.2019  to  give  recommendations  for  enhancing exploration,  domestic  production,  reducing  imports  and  achieving  rapid  growth  in exports of coal. Ministry has agreed on the recommendations contained in the HLC report in 2020 that all concessions for exploration & mining will be gradually shifted for commercial purposes.

Further, it was also recommended by HLC that  after one year from the acceptance of this report, all auctions/allotments would be given for commercial purpose only and that after one year, direct allotment route shall be closed except under exceptional circumstances  to  be  determined  by  Ministry  of  Coal  and  PSUs  may  participate  in auctions of coal blocks.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 1599 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Maulana Azad National Fellowship
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Adv. Chandra Shekhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1599

## MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS ANSWERED ON 31/07/2024

## MAULANA AZAD NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP

1599 ADV. CHANDRA SHEKHAR:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) has been discontinued by the Government;

- (b) if so, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government has evaluated the effectiveness and impact of MANF in promoting higher education among minority students, influencing the decision to discontinue it; and (d) If not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (d): The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements various schemes for educational and socioeconomic  empowerment  of  the  six  (6)  centrally  notified  minority  communities.  The  Ministry  of Minority Affairs, Government of India has been implementing the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) Scheme on the lines of the JRF Scheme of UGC and CSIR. The UGC and CSIR Fellowship Schemes  are  open  for  candidates  of  all  social  categories  and  communities  including  minorities.  In addition to this, students from minority communities are also covered under the Fellowship Schemes being implemented by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Ministry of Tribal Affairs for Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes. In view of the apparent overlap among the aforesaid Schemes, it has been decided to discontinue the MANF Scheme from 2022-23 onward.  The  existing  MANF  Fellows  will  continue  to  receive  Fellowships  till  the  end  of  their respective tenure, subject to compliance with the extant guidelines.

*****