opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 2895 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: DTH and Other Communication Facilities in Rural/Tribal Areas
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Shri Ganesh Singh

(a) and (b):

Government has taken various initiatives to expand the reach of Cable TV, DTH, and other communication services in rural and tribal areas, including:

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2895

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025)

DTH and Other Communication Facilities in Rural/Tribal Areas

2895. SHRI GANESH SINGH

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the major barriers to access to cable TV, Direct to Home (DTH) and other communication facilities in rural/tribal areas;
- (b)  if  so,  whether  any  special  initiative  or  subsidy  scheme  is  proposed  by  the Government for these areas; and
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  developed  any  specific  monitoring  mechanism  on Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAM) or any other digital medium for resolving complaints received from citizens; and
- (d)    if  so,  the  details  of  complaints  received  and  resolved  during  the  last  two  years, district particularly Satna?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING, AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

(DR. L. MURUGAN)

- 264 Community Radio Stations set up across India (since 2019) for community engagement, promoting local culture, and disseminating information.
- Prasar Bharati offers DD Free Dish service without any subscription fee, which has grown significantly from 104 channels in 2019 to 510 channels at present.
- OTT platform  'WAVES'  was  launched  in  2024,  a  multi-genre  digital  streaming aggregator that integrates Doordarshan and AIR network channels.

To improve the cable TV, DTH, and communication facilities in rural and tribal areas, the  Government  is  also  implementing  focused  measures  under  the  Central  Sector Scheme, Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) Scheme:

- Modernisation of broadcasting infrastructure, including transmitters, studios, and DTH platforms, to improve signal quality and coverage
- 510 free-to-air channels (up from 104 in 2019) through DD Free Dish, thereby removing cost barriers for underserved population
- ₹450 crore earmarked (2021-26) for developing region-specific and accessible content, promoting inclusivity and awareness

This has enabled wider access to news, information, and educational programming in rural/tribal areas.

(c) and (d): Grievances received from Satna district were addressed as per the inbuilt guidelines of the CPGRAMS portal.

***
Lok Sabha Question No. 2894 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Privatisation of Brake Van Services
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Shyamkumar Daulat Barve

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2894 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## PRIVATISATION OF BRAKE VAN SERVICES

## †2894. SHRI SHYAMKUMAR DAULAT BARVE :

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that socio-economic issues being caused due to privatisation  of  the  Brake  Van  services  which  was  an  accessible  and affordable mode of goods transport for the farmers, small traders and daily wage workers but the said service has been handed over to the private players;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  cost  of  living  of  the  thousand  of labourers  as  well  as  rural  and  small  traders  increased  and  it  has adversely affected the revenue capacity and budget balance of Railways and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  the  Government is  considering  to  formulate  any  concrete policy  for  making  brake  Vans  services  available  for  public  use  by reviewing the said decision and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the details of the decision making process regarding the privatisation  of  the  said  Services,  analysis  of  profit  and  loss  and revenue earned through Brake Van freight services during the last five years?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (e):  All the passenger carrying trains have 02 brake vans (SLRs) attached to them.  The space in the brake van is used for transportation of perishables, passenger luggage, newspapers, magazines etc, between nominated pair of stations.

In  addition,  the  parcel  space  in  brake  vans  is  also  leased  out  to aggregators.

The mode of leasing has shifted from tender based to e-auction since 2022,  which  is  more  dynamic  and  helps  in  realization  of  true  earning potential.  While  putting  up  parcel  space  in  brake  vans  (SLRs)  of  LHB design  for  e-auction,  Zonal  Railways  have  been  advised  to  take  due care, considering its feasibility and the local conditions.

The  freight  rate  for  parcel  space  booked  by  Railway  is  as  per  the applicable  parcel  tariff,  while  freight  for  the  leased  parcel  space  is market determined.  Transportation in brake vans is benefitting small farmers and persons attached with Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME sector), and has facilitated growth in the parcel traffic of Indian Railways.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2890 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Circular to Central and State Governments
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Shri Ummeda Ram Beniwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

## (DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS & PUBLIC GRIEVANCES)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2890

(ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025)

## CIRCULAR TO CENTRAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS

## †2890. SHRI UMMEDA RAM BENIWAL:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has issued any circular to the States and Central Departments in the States to acknowledge the letter sent by the Members of Parliament and to reply to the concerned Members of Parliament in a time bound manner and if so, the details thereof along with the copies of the letters thereof; and
- (b) whether the Government intends to issue any strict guidelines in this regard so that the officers work seriously in respect of the letters written by the Members of Parliament and if so, the time by which it is likely to be done and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  &  (b):  The  Government  has  laid  down  procedures  for  secretariat  work,  in  Ministries/ Departments of the Government of India, in the form of Central  Secretariat  Manual  of Office Procedure  (CSMoP),  wherein  the  guidelines  and  protocols  are  in  place  for  ensuring  timely acknowledgement and responses to correspondence of Members of Parliament. The guidelines are available  at  https://darpg.gov.in/relatedlinks/csmop,  Para  8.9.  of  chapter  8  of  16 th edition  of CSMOP, 2022 provides procedure to be followed in replying to communications received from MPs.   Further, in Para 12.3 of Chapter 12 of CSMOP, 2022, it is laid down that communications received  from  Members  of  Parliament  should  be  attended  to  promptly.  The  Department  of Personnel  &  Training  vide  OM  No.11013/14/2022-Estt.A-III  dated  13 th   September,  2022  had issued consolidated guidelines on official dealings between the Administration and Members of Parliament and State Legislatures -Observance of proper procedure in this regard. (https://dopt.gov.in/sites/default/files/Official\_dealing\_consolidation13092022.pdf)

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2884 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) in BSNL
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Imran Masood

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2884 ANSWERED ON 6 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT SCHEME (VRS) IN BSNL

## †2884.  SHRI IMRAN MASOOD:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether  the  Government  has  made  any  assessment  to  ascertain  the  reasons  for  BSNL's inadequate revenue generation, if so, the outcome thereof;

(b) whether it is considered appropriate to implement Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) to reduce the number of employees by 35 percent on the basis of the said assessment;

(c) the special measures taken by the Government to save the VRS scheme of the BSNL from the failed initiatives taken by the MTNL in the past; and

(d) the  concrete  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  resolve  the  objections  raised  by  the recognised employees' unions regarding VRS?

## ANSWER

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

( a ) to ( d ) The  Government  approved  the  first  Revival  package  in  2019  to  bring  down  the operating cost of BSNL by Debt restructuring through Sovereign Guarantee Bonds as well as VRS. After implementation of VRS in 2019, the employee cost of BSNL got reduced by 51 %. As a result of above, BSNL started earning operating profit from 2020-21.

The  revenue  of  BSNL  is  impacted  due  to  delay  in  roll  out  of  4G  services  as  well  as  stiff competition  in  the  mobile  segment.  Under  Atmanirbhar  Bharat  initiative,  BSNL  has  awarded Purchase Order for indigenously developed 4G sites. As on 30.06.2025, total 95,537 4G sites have been  installed  and  90,035  sites  are  ON-Air.  The  equipment  is  5G  upgradable  from  technology perspective.

At present, no proposal for VRS in BSNL is under consideration in the Department.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2882 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Recycling and Recovery of  critical Minerals
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri P C Mohan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2882

ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## RECYCLING AND RECOVERY OF CRITICAL MINERALS

2882. SHRI P C MOHAN:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government has launched or proposed any schemes or incentives to promote the recycling and recovery of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  of  such  schemes  including  their  scope,  financial  outlay,  targeted sectors (e.g., battery manufacturing, e-waste) and current beneficiaries;
- (c) whether the Government is encouraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), R&D or circular economy models for mineral recycling;
- (d)  the  role  of  institutions  such  as  Khanij  Bidesh India  Ltd.  (KABIL),  IITs and  industry stakeholders in developing recycling infrastructure and technology;
- (e) the challenges identified by the Government in scaling up mineral recycling and the steps being taken to address them; and
- (f) whether India has set any national targets for recycled content in critical mineral usage especially in sectors like EVs, electronics and renewable energy, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b): The National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), set up following the approval by the Union Cabinet on 29.01.2025, comprises key interventions for increasing domestic capacity and building supply chain resilience in critical minerals. A ₹1,500 crore incentive scheme for promotion of recycling of used products such as e-waste, lithium-ion battery waste and other waste for separation and extraction of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements is a part of the Mission.

(c)  &  (d):  To  aid  circular  economy  in  the  mineral  sector  through  recycling,  support  is extended to R&D institutes and to Start-ups and MSMEs under the Science & Technology programme of the Ministry of Mines. Recycling is one of the focus areas in the programme and R&D institutes including IITs have to seek partial industry contribution to be eligible for funding. Role of the industry, besides institutes like IITs, in undertaking R&D in the mineral sector including recycling is thus ensured under the said programme. The role of Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. is primarily to seek critical mineral assets overseas.

(e) & (f): Lack of support to industry hinders scaling up of mineral recycling, and hence, an  incentive  scheme  has  been  made  a  part  of  the  NCMM.  The  development  of  the industry  for  recycling  of  critical  minerals  being  in  an  early  stage,  national  targets  for recycled content in critical mineral usage have not been specified.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2881 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Seismic Micronozation
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Dhaval Laxmanbhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2881 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 6 th  AUGUST, 2025

## SEISMIC MICRONOZATION

## 2881.  SHRI DHAVAL LAXMANBHAI PATEL:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  number  of  cities  for  which  seismic  microzonation  has  been completed;
- (b) whether the city planning departments have been trained to use this data for landuse zoning and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  details  of  plans  to  create  open-access  platforms  for  dissemination  of  seismic data to local authorities?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) The cities of Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Guwahati, Jabalpur, Dehradun, Ahmedabad, Gandhidham and the State of Sikkim have been covered for seismic microzonation. Cities including Chennai, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar and Mangalore are also covered. Additionally,  cities  such  as  Patna,  Varanasi,  Lucknow,  Kanpur,  Meerut,  Agra, Dhanbad, Amritsar are in advanced stage of completion. Seismic Microzonation data is  produced  by  the  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences  (MoES) through  National Centre for Seismology (NCS) and is based on guidelines framed by MoES.
- (b) The seismic microzonation study and its results are shared with state/national disaster management  authorities  and  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  (BIS).  NDMA  conducts awareness  campaigns  and  promote  BIS  -  approved  guidelines  and  construction practices for earthquake - resistant design.
- (c) NCS provides GIS-based hazard products for Seismic Microzonation. Formal, userfriendly open-access platforms are not yet established specifically for microzonation data. However, the information of Earthquake parameters is shared in public domain through  various  social  media  such  as  website,  X,  WhatsApp,  App,  Facebook  etc. immediately  after  the  occurrence  of  the  earthquakes  within  India  and  its  adjacent areas.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2880 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Conversion of Broad Gauge Line from Amreli to Dhari
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Bharatbhai Manubhai Sutariya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2880 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## CONVERSION OF BROAD GAUGE LINE FROM AMRELI TO DHARI

†2880. SHRI BHARATBHAI MANUBHAI SUTARIYA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to convert railway line from Amreli  to  Dhari  into  broad  gauge  which  is  likely  to  establish new  railway  connectivity  from  Amreli  to  Surat-AhmedabadMumbai; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) and (b): Gauge  Conversion  (GC)  of  Khijadiya-Amreli  (17  km)  has been  sanctioned  at  a  cost  of  ₹178  crore  in  2023-24.  Work  has  been taken  up.  With  this,  Amreli  will  be  connected  to  Ahmedabad-SuratMumbai Broad Gauge railway line via Khijadiya, Botad. Most of AmreliDhari-Visavadar  Metre  Gauge  network  passes  through  Gir  National Park and is ecologically sensitive.

Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors like quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance by officials of forest department, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances from  various  authorities,  geological  and  topographical  conditions  of area,  law  and  order  situation  in  the  area  of  project/s  site,  number  of working  months  in  a  year  for  particular  project  site  etc.  All  these factors affect the completion time and cost of the project/s.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2878 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Impact Assessment of PMKKKY
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri K E Prakash

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 2878

ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF PMKKKY

2878. SHRI K E PRAKASH:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has undertaken any impact assessment or evaluation study  of  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Khanij  Kshetra  Kalyan  Yojana  (PMKKKY)  since  its implementation and if so, the details thereof including key findings or outcomes of such evaluations;
- (b) whether the Government has assessed the manner in which the 70% ceiling for directly affected areas under DMF funds is being implemented, including its usage, challenges in enforcement along with steps taken to address them; and (c)  whether  the  Ministry  has  assessed  the  manner  in  which  DMF  funds  are  being used  for  infrastructure  projects  in  high-priority  areas  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof
- along with overall outcomes, major challenges and steps taken to address them?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c)  The  PMKKKY  Guidelines  2024  mandates  that  DMFs  shall  conduct  a baseline survey to formulate a five-year Perspective Plan. Based on the findings and gaps identified through this survey or assessment, the DMFs shall develop a fiveyear Perspective Plan strategy.

PMKKKY -2024 Guidelines also mandates that at least 70% of PMKKKY funds to be utilized under high priority sectors like drinking water, environment preservation and pollution  control  measures,  health  care,  education, etc. and upto 30%  of  the  DMF funds  to  be  utilized  under  other  priority  sectors  including  physical  infrastructure. Further,  a  minimum  of  70%  of  the  DMF  funds  shall  be  spent  only  in  the  directly affected  areas.  Further,  section  6  of  PMKKKY  Guidelines  2024  stipulates  that  the approval of expenditure of funds from DMF lies solely with the Governing Council of DMFs.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2876 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: One Station One Product (OSOP) in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Tharaniventhan M S

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2876 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## ONE STATION ONE PRODUCT (OSOP) IN TAMIL NADU

2876. SHRI THARANIVENTHAN M S:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number  of  railway  stations  covered  under  the  One  Station  One Product  (OSOP)  initiative  across  the  country  particularly  in  Tamil  Nadu, State-wise;
- (b)  the  details  of  local  products  identified  and  promoted  under  the  OSOP scheme at railway stations in Tamil Nadu;
- (c)  the  measures  taken/being  taken  to  involve  local  artisans,  small-scale industries and self help groups in the said State in the OSOP initiative;
- (d) the financial support and infrastructure facilities provided to OSOP units at Tamil Nadu railway stations; and
- (e)  the  impact  assessment/feedback  received  regarding  the  promotion  of OSOP products in the said State and plans to expand the scheme further?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (e): As of 30.06.2025, the OSOP Scheme is operational at 1,984 stations across Indian Railways, including 166 stations in Tamil Nadu.

The  'One  Station  One  Product'  (OSOP)  scheme  has  been  launched  by  the Ministry of Railways with the objective to promote 'Vocal for Local' vision of

the  Government  of  India,  provide  a  market  for  indigenous  products  and opportunities to railway passengers to experience the rich heritage of India and  to  buy  local/indigenous  products  made  by  local  artisans,  weavers, craftsmen,  tribes  etc.,  as  also  processed,  semi  processed  &  other  food products indigenously made/grown in the area.

Under this scheme, Indian Railways provides uniquely designed sales outlets for showcasing,  selling and giving high visibility to indigenous/ local products. Individuals  at  the  bottom  of  the  pyramid/  marginalised  and weaker sections, self help groups, etc., are encouraged. There is no financial eligibility.  Allotment  is  done  to  all  applicants,  who  meet  objectives  of  this scheme. There is a nominal registration fee for participation in the scheme. Also, 20 units of electricity are provided free of cost for a period of 15 days.

The  product  categories  being  promoted  and  sold  under  OSOP  scheme  in Tamil  Nadu  include  handicrafts  and  artefacts,  textiles  and  handlooms, traditional garments and local agricultural products.

As on 30.06.2025, a total sales of Rs 22.08 crore has been generated under this scheme in Tamil Nadu since launch of the scheme (25.03.2022). Various Self Help Groups (SHGs), Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other local producers are encouraged by Indian Railways to actively participate in the scheme. Wide publicity is given through social media and station notice boards to further proliferate the scheme.

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