opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 649 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Impact of Iron Ore Mining in many Towns of Jharkhand
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Smt. Joba Majhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. †

## 649 ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025

## IMPACT OF IRON ORE MINING IN MANY TOWNS OF JHARKHAND

†649. SMT. JOBA MAJHI:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is cognisant of the fact that red water is flowing into the fields meant for agriculture due to non-compliance of the prescribed standards during the mining of iron ore at Kiriburu, Meghahatuburu, Gua, Chiria etc. located in Chaibasa in Jharkhand based Steel Authority of India leading to the agricultural land growing fallow as well as local people being subjected to the onslaught of serious ailments; and
- (b) if so, whether the Government has taken any action in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b): As per existing law, before execution of the mining lease, it is mandatory for the  prospective  lessees  to  obtain  the  requisite  statutory  clearances,  including Environmental Clearance. The lease holders are required to ensure compliance of the terms and conditions of the clearances and approvals accorded by the respective authorities, failing which necessary action is taken by the concerned authorities under the respective Acts and applicable Rules/Guidelines.

As per information received from the Ministry of Steel, the iron ore mines operated by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) at Kiriburu, Meghahatuburu, Gua, Chiria etc. located in Chaibasa in Jharkhand strictly adhere to the conditions of the Environmental Clearance  mandated  by  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change (MoEF&CC) and periodic monitoring reports are submitted to the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board and MoEF&CC, in accordance with statutory requirements.

Further,  the  Ministry  of  Steel  has  informed  that  these  mines  are  certified  under internationally  recognized  standards,  including  standards  for  Quality  Management, Environmental Management, Occupational Health & Safety and Energy Management. These  certifications are based  on robust systems  for quality, environmental stewardship, safety and energy efficiency.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 648 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: New Train Services to Rameswaram
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri T R Baalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 648 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025

## NEW TRAIN SERVICES TO RAMESWARAM

648. SHRI T R BAALU:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  proposed  to  operate  new  trains  and  more  services  to Rameswaram consequent upon inauguration of a new lift-bridge at Pamban on the sea;
- (b) if so, the details of the trains and the cities identified for introduction of
- the same in Tamil Nadu and other States;
- (c)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  new  Pamban  lift-  bridge  has  remained unoperational  for  many  days  due  to  technical  problems,  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (d)  the  details  of  the  timeline  by  when  the  bridge  is  likely  to  facilitate passing of ships underneath it?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (d)  With  a  view  to  facilitate  the  passengers  of  Rameswaram,  Indian Railways  have  introduced  16103/16104  Tambaram  -  Rameswaram  Express (Daily)  w.e.f.  06.04.2025.  Besides,  Rameswaram  is  also  served  by  28  train services, providing connectivity to various cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Kanniyakumari, Tirupati, Bhubaneswar, Banaras, Prayagraj, Ayodhya etc.

Further,  as  the  Railway  network  straddles  across  State  boundaries,  train services are introduced across such boundaries as per network requirement. However,  introduction  of  train  services  is  an  on-going  process  on  Indian Railways, subject to traffic justification, operational feasibility, availability of resources, etc.

Further,  there  is  no  technical  problem  in  operation  of  lift  span  of  Pamban Bridge.  Accordingly,  ships  can  pass  under  the  lift  span  as  and  when requested by the Port Authorities.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 647 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Jobs created by Semiconductor Manufacturing Units
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri G Kumar Naik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 647

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 23.07.2025

## JOBS CREATED BY SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING UNITS

## 647. SHRI G KUMAR NAIK:

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

- (a) the total number of jobs created directly and indirectly by the Semiconductor Manufacturing Units established under the Semicon India programme including a breakdown by skilled and unskilled labour; and
- (b) whether the Government has evaluated the environmental impact of these units particularly in terms of carbon emissions, water usage and waste generation and if so, the details of any mitigation measures implemented to address these impacts?

## ANSWER

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

(a) and (b):  Government introduced Semicon India Programme with an outlay of Rs 76,000 crore for development of semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in the country.

Government has approved six (6) semiconductor manufacturing projects so far under this Program with cumulative investment of around Rs. 1,55,000 crore.  These  approved  semiconductor manufacturing projects are expected to generate more than 27,000 direct job opportunities depending on the maturity of factory automation.

Semiconductor  manufacturing  is  a  highly  specialised  industry  requiring  complex  manufacturing process. Therefore, most of the jobs created in this industry are skilled jobs. Further, as semiconductor industry is a foundational industry, these units are expected to have a cascading effect on employment generation in the other sectors and the supply chain down the line.

The  projects under Semicon  India remain regulated under applicable laws/rules regarding environment, water, waste etc.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 646 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Rail Connectivity between Thoothukudi and Mumbai
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Smt. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 646 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025

RAIL CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THOOTHUKUDI AND MUMBAI 646. SMT. KANIMOZHI KARUNANIDHI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Union  Government  is  aware  of  the  significant  demand  for improved rail  connectivity  between  Thoothukudi  and  Mumbai by  extending the  Lokmanya  Tilak  Express  (Train  No.  11043/11044)  to  Thoothukudi  or introducing a new direct train service;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the expected timeline for the introduction of this service; and
- (d) whether the Government plans to take any other measures to improve rail connectivity to Thoothukudi and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (d)  At  present,    Mumbai  -  Tuticorin  sector  is  being  served  by 19567/19568 Tuticorin - Okha Vivek Express. To facilitate the passengers of Tuticorin,    Indian  Railways  have  introduced  16765/16766  MettupalayamTuticorin Express (Bi-weekly) w.e.f 19.07.2024 and extended the service of 16791/16792  Tirunelveli-Palakkad  Palaruvi  Express  upto Tuticorin w.e.f 15.08.2024.  Besides,  introduction  of  new  trains  and  extension  of  train services  are  an  on-going  processes  on  Indian  Railways,  subject  to  traffic justification, operational feasibility, availability of resources, etc.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 645 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Inclusion of Gopalpur–Rairakhol Railway Line
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 645

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025

## INCLUSION OF GOPALPUR-RAIRAKHOL RAILWAY LINE

## 645.  SHRI SUKANTA KUMAR PANIGRAHI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for new Railway line of Gopalpur-Rairakhol has been submitted;
- (b)  if  so,  whether  it  includes  Phulbani,  the  district  headquarters  of Kandhamal;
- (c)  if  not,  the  reasons  for  excluding  Phulbani  from  the  earlier  DPR despite in-principle approval by the Government;
- (d) whether  the  Ministry  has  directed  Odisha  Rail  Infrastructure Development Limited (ORIDL) to revise the DPR and include Phulbani in the alignment;
- (e) if so, the details of the current status of the revised DPR, including the timeline for its completion and submission to the Railway Board; and
- (f)  whether any funds have been allocated or proposed for survey, land acquisition  or  preliminary  works  for  the  project  in  the  next  financial year and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (f):  Rail  connectivity  for  Kandhamal  District  is  proposed  to  be provided by Rairakhol - Gopalpur new line project being taken up by

Odisha  Rail Infrastructure Development  Limited  (ORIDL),  a  Joint Venture company of Government of Odisha and Ministry of Railways. Detailed  Project  Report  (DPR)  for  this  new  rail  line  was  prepared  by ORIDL.  However, the alignment of proposed new line was not passing through  Phulbani  which  was  in  contravention  to  the  In-Principle Approval (IPA) granted to ORIDL. Accordingly,  ORIDL  has  been  advised  to  review  the  alignment  of Gopalpur  -  Rairakhol  new  rail  line  to  include  Phulbani.    The  survey work & preparation of DPR considering the alignment via Phulbani is taken up by ORIDL. After  firming  up  of  Detailed  Project  Report,  sanctioning  of  project requires consultation with various stake-holders including State Governments  and  necessary  approvals  viz.  appraisal  of  NITI  Aayog, Ministry of Finance etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines cannot be fixed.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 644 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Delays and Implementation Gaps in Aspirational Districts Scheme Mobile Connectivity Projects
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 644 ANSWERED ON 23 RD  JULY, 2025

## DELAYS AND IMPLEMENTATION GAPS IN ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS SCHEME MOBILE CONNECTIVITY PROJECTS

## 644. SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  there  are  considerable  delays  in  the  execution  of  4G  mobile connectivity projects under the Aspirational Districts Scheme, especially in Bihar and Rajasthan, where significant gaps persist despite the project being initiated in 2021 and if so, the details of coverage status in Bihar and Rajasthan, district-wise including Saran in Bihar;
- (b) the details  of the reasons for the delay in completing mobile service infrastructure in the targeted villages across the nine identified States, Phase and State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has considered using advanced geospatial mapping systems and contingency planning mechanisms to prevent future delays due to logistical or geographical hurdles, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the time proposed for achieving full coverage in the remaining villages; and
- (e) whether any accountability mechanism or penal provisions have been invoked against the implementing agencies for missing critical milestones in Bihar and other affected States?

## ANSWER

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

(a)& (b) The implementation work for provision of 4G mobile services in the Aspirational district of Bihar has been planned under the Aspirational Districts schemes.

Districts schemes are under progress including in Bihar and Rajasthan State. No village in the Saran State wise villages/Towers planned for mobile coverage and covered under Aspirational Districts schemes for 9 states is available on Digital Bharat Nidhi website https://usof.gov.in/en/home. Some of the sites under Aspirational Districts schemes got delayed due to delay in getting revenue land, forest/wildlife permission & right of way permission from states. Further, some sites also got delayed due to security, accessibility and other local issues.

- (c) Yes, the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP) is being used for planning of towers in the 4G Saturation scheme.
- (d) & (e) Yes, the penal provisions such as Liquidated Damages (LD), Downtime Penalty etc. are invoked against the implementing agencies as per extant agreement.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 640 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Solar Projects in Uttar Pradesh
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Anurag Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 640

ANSWERED ON 23/07/2025

## SOLAR PROJECTS IN UTTAR PRADESH

640. SHRI ANURAG SHARMA

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

- (a) the current status of the 1.3 GW solar power projects planned in Jhansi and the manner in which it contributes to Uttar Pradesh's renewable energy targets;
- (b) the details of estimated investment for these projects along with the employment opportunities are anticipated for the local population;
- (c) the details of the steps taken by the Government to promote solar energy in the Bundelkhand region, particularly in Jhansi;
- (d) whether there Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP) underway on the lines of recent Uttar Pradesh-TUSCO agreement for the 600 MW solar project and if so, the details thereof; and (e) the details of the expected environmental benefits in terms of carbon emission reduction and sustainable development therefrom?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) has invited an Expression of Interest (EOI) for 1.3 GW Solar PV Project in Jhansi district under the Uttar Pradesh Solar Energy Policy-2022, with an estimated investment of Rs. 5200 crore and direct and indirect employment of approx. 5000.

- (c) to (e) In order to promote solar parks and projects, the Government has sanctioned 7 solar parks of aggregate capacity 4085 MW in the Bundelkhand region. Out of this, one solar park of 600 MW capacity is located in Jhansi, with no Public-Private-Partnership.

The standard CO2 abatement out of the project of 600 MW is around 0.87 million tons annually.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 638 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: SMART-PDS Scheme
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Rao Rajendra Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRFD QUESTION NO. 638

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 23RD JULY, 2025

## SMART-PDS SCHEME

## 638.  SHRI RAO RAJENDRA SINGH:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the computerised data pertaining to  the Public Distribution System (PDS) under  the  SMART-PDS scheme, shall  be  lent to other  Government and  nonGovernment/private organisations;
- (b) if  so, the details thereof along with the purposes;
- (c) whether such a dissemination of data shall be monetised by the Government and if  so, the details  thereof;
- (d) whether any permission shall be taken from the beneficiaries enrolled under the said scheme before transferring  such data to other organisations; and
- (e) if  so, the details thereon

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

- (a) to (b): This  Department is  implementing  the  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme (CSS) 'Scheme for Modernization and Reforms through Technology in Public Distribution  System (SMART-PDS)'  for the development and implementation of advanced integrated supply chain software in  States/UTs. The computerised data pertaining to the Public Distribution System (PDS) under the SMART-PDS scheme shall be ]ent to  other Ministries, Departments and Organizations of Government of India only.
- (c): This department has no plan to monetize the data pertaining to more than 80 crore PDS beneficiaries.
- (d) &  (e): Department is  conforming  to  standard guidelines under Digital  Personal Data Protection Act  with  respect to  sharing data with  other ministries and departments of Government of India

88##
Lok Sabha Question No. 637 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Railway Arrangements for Kanwar Mela/Char Dham Yatra
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 637

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025

## RAILWAY ARRANGEMENTS FOR KANWAR MELA/CHAR DHAM YATRA

†637. SHRI TRIVENDRA SINGH RAWAT :

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  manner  in  which  the  rail  services  have  been  strengthened keeping in view the increasing number of pilgrims during the Kanwar Mela and Char Dham Yatra during the year 2025;
- (b)  the details of the special trains operated/likely to be operated for the above said purposes along with the names of major stations where platform  facilities  have  been  expanded  and  the  manner  in  which additional  staff  have  been  deployed/likely  to  be  deployed  on  these stations;
- (c) the details of the important facilities provided/likely to be provided to the pilgrims through digital means such as RailOne App; and
- (d)  the  details  of  special  arrangements  made  for  smooth  monitoring, management and coordination of the said special rail services?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (d)   Indian  Railways,  subject  to  operational  feasibility,  traffic justification etc, operates Special trains to cater extra rush of pilgrims

during Mela/Yatra/festive season, vacations, for destinations of tourist/pilgrim importance to facilitate passengers.   Indian Railways, to  provide  additional  accommodation,  also  augments  the  loads  of trains on a temporary basis for pilgrims during the Mela/Yatra/festive seasons.    Accordingly,  Indian  Railways    till  17th  July  have  notified 1038 trips of special trains to facilitate piligrims during Shravani Mela 2025. RailOne  App  provides  important  passenger  related facilities like booking  of  reserved,  unreserved  and  platform  tickets,  options  of search  train,  coach  position,  tracking  of  train  running,  PNR  enquiry, RailMadad, etc. which can be availed of by the pilgrims. The  Railway  Protection  Force  (RPF)  is  implementing  comprehensive security  measures  for  smooth  flow  of  passengers/pilgrims  coming to/going from various railway stations during ongoing Shravani Mela/Char Dham Yatra in coordination with Government Railway Police and other stakeholders. This includes: (i)  Deployment of extra security personnel. (ii) Use of modern gadgets for surveillance like CCTV, Hand Held Metal Detector (HHMD) etc. (iii)  Keeping  regular  touch  with  passengers  through  various  social media platforms like.  Twitter,  Facebook, etc.  to  enhance  security  of passengers and to address their security concerns. (iv) Railway Help Line number  139  (integrated  with  Emergency Response Support System No. 112) is operational (24x7) over Indian Railways, for passengers' assistance.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 631 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Number of People Living Below Poverty Line
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: Shri Kaushalendra Kumar, Smt. Lovely Anand, Shri Ramprit Mandal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 631 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025

## NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING BELOW POVERTY LINE

- †631.   SHRI KAUSHALENDRA KUMAR: SMT. LOVELY ANAND: SHRI RAMPRIT MANDAL:

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any data about the number of families still living below the poverty line across the country as the Government have already brought 25 crore families above the poverty line till last year and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether around 29.17 per cent of the population of the country was below the poverty line during the year 2013-14; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## 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) to (c) In 2021, the Government of India developed a comprehensive index known as National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to measure poverty that captures overlapping deprivations  in  dimensions  such  as  health,  education  and  standard  of  living,  covering  12 indicators namely, nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, maternal health, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, bank accounts and assets.  It  measures  both  the  share  of  people  in  poverty  and  the  degree  to  which  they  are deprived.  The  second  edition  of  the  index  was  released  in  2023.  As  per  the  latest  report, 'National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023', released by NITI Aayog, the  proportion  of  population  in  multidimensional  poverty  declined  from  24.85%  to  14.96%

between 2015-16 and 2019- 21, indicating that about 13.5 crore people have escaped poverty during the period.

Further,  as  per  the  discussion  paper  'Multidimensional  Poverty  in  India  since  2005-  06' published by NITI Aayog, multidimensional poverty in India is estimated to have declined from 29.17%  in  2013-14  to  11.28%  in  2022-23  indicating  that  24.82  crore  people  have  escaped poverty during this period.

The details of the same are in public domain and can be accessed at https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-08/India-National-Multidimentional-PovertyIndex-2023.pdf and https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-01/MPI-22\_NITI-Aayog20254.pdf .

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