opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 4703 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Expansion of Aviation Infrastructure
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Ve Vaithilingam, Dr. Rajeev Bharadwaj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 4703

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  21st August 2025 )

## EXPANSION OF AVIATION INFRASTRUCTURE

## 4703.    SHRI VE VAITHILINGAM DR. RAJEEV BHARADWAJ Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  formulate  a  special  investment  policy  for  the expansion of the airport network/aviation infrastructure across the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the funds proposed to be spent for the purpose; and
- (c) whether the Government also proposes to establish new domestic cargo terminals and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  CIVIL  AVIATION            (Shri  Murlidhar Mohol)

(a) & (b):  The Government has taken various steps for expansion of the airport infrastructure in  the  country,  which,  inter-alia,  include  grant  of  In-Principle'  approval  for  construction  of new  Greenfield  airports,  upgradation  and  modernisation  of  existing  airports  by  Airport Operators including Airports Authority of India, Development/revival of unserved/underserved  airports  under  Regional  Connectivity  Scheme  (RCS)  -  UDAN  (Ude Desh  Ka  Aam  Nagrik)  and  promoting  private  investments  in  existing  and  new  airports through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) .;

Expansion, Modernisation and development of  airport infrastructure is a continuous process, which  is  undertaken  by  the  Airports  Authority  of  India  (AAI)  and  the  other  Airport Operators/Developers  concerned  depending  upon  traffic  demand,  commercial  feasibility, operational  requirements  for  safety  of  aircraft  operation  and  demand  from  airlines  etc. Development works are taken up in a phased manner depending upon availability of land and viability, as well as other facilities with reference to intended aircraft operations.;

To improve the airport infrastructure in the country, AAI and PPP Partners have incurred a CAPEX of more than Rs. 96000 crore during FY 2019-20 to FY 2024-25. Out of this, more than  Rs.  28000  crore  has  been  incurred  by  AAI  and  the  remaining  by  private  airport operators/developers under PPP mode.;;

(c):  Domestic  air  cargo  facilities  are  planned  at  Noida  (Jewar),  Navi  Mumbai,  Dholera, Silchar, Hirasar, Jharsuguda, Itanagar (Hollongi) and Kanpur airports.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 4699 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Implementation of NeFMS for DBT of Wages
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Dr. Gumma Thanuja Rani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 4699

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 21/08/2025

## "IMPLEMENTATION OF NEFMS FOR DBT OF WAGES"

4699. DR. GUMMA THANUJA RANI:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state: -

(a) the measures taken to ensure the efficient implementation of the National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS) for wage payments under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode, particularly for wage seekers in tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh who have to travel significant distances to claim their wages; and

(b)  whether  the  Government  has  received  any  feedback  or  complaints  regarding  the  accessibility  and efficiency  of the  DBT mode for wage payments and scholarship disbursements to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)

(a) & (b): As far as the scholarship schemes implemented by Ministry of Tribal Affairs for ST students in concerned, Ministry has not received any complaint regarding accessibility and efficiency of the DBT mode.

Further,  the Ministry  of  Rural  Development  has  informed  that  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005 is an Act to provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do  unskilled  manual  work. The  Ministry  mandates  the  provision  of  an  additional  50  days  of  wage employment (beyond the stipulated 100 days) to every Scheduled Tribe Household in a forest area, provided that these households have no other private property except for the land rights provided under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.

In addition to this, there is a provision for providing up to an additional 50 days of wage employment in a financial year in drought/natural calamity-affected notified rural areas. Further, as per Section 3(4) of the Act, the State Governments may make provision for providing additional days of employment beyond the period guaranteed under the Act from their own funds. Under the scheme, 100% of wage payments are made by  the  Central  Government  directly  to  the  accounts  of  beneficiaries  through  the  Direct  Benefit  Transfer (DBT) protocol.

The Ministry of Rural Development has taken various steps to ensure the timely payment of wages to workers including improvement of National Electronic Fund Management System (Ne-FMS), intensive consultation with State Governments and other stakeholders, formulation of Standard Operating Procedure and reviewing the status of timely payment. Further, continued efforts have been undertaken by the Ministry through various technological interventions i.e. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS).

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Lok Sabha Question No. 4696 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Lack of Airworthy Planes
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Malvinder Singh Kang

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 4696

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  21st August 2025 )

## LACK OF AIRWORTHY PLANES

4696.    SHRI MALVINDER SINGH KANG Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

(a) whether it is a fact that the number of airworthy planes in the country is less than their requirement and if so, the details thereof; and

(b)  whether  it  is  also  a  fact  that  there  are  inadequate  arrangements  for  manufacturing  and repair of such planes and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  CIVIL  AVIATION            (Shri  Murlidhar Mohol)

(a) to (b): Currently, 846 aircraft are being operated by scheduled operators in the country. The  induction  of  aircraft  into  airline  companies  is  a  continuous  process.  Airline  operators induct new aircraft to their existing fleet from time to time. ;

;

Directorate  General  of  Civil  Aviation  (DGCA)  has  framed  comprehensive  Civil  Aviation Requirements (CAR) on maintenance of Indian registered aircraft. DGCA approves Aircraft Maintenance  Program  prepared  by  the  operator  based  on  the  Manufacturer's  Maintenance Planning  Documents  (MPD),  Aircraft  Maintenance  Manual  (AMM),  Engine  Maintenance Manual (EMM) and other relevant documents. The operator may have its own or contract to other DGCA approved maintenance organisation for carrying out maintenance of aircraft.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 4694 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Petroleum Products under GST
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Shri Gyaneshwar Patil

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4694 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 AUGUST 2025

## Petroleum Products under GST

† 4694. SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL :

## पेट Ō ोिलयम और Ůाक ृ ितक गैस मंũी

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any proposal to bring petrol and petroleum products under the ambit of Goods and Services Tax (GST);
- (b) if so, the details thereof including the position of various States including Madhya Pradesh and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c)  whether  the  Ministry  of  Finance  has  received  any  proposal  during  the  last  five  years  to  bring petrol and other petroleum products under GST;
- (d) if so, the details thereof including the position of Madhya Pradesh;
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  study  regarding  the  impact  of  bringing  petrol  and petroleum products under GST; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## पेट Ō ोिलयम और Ůाक ृ ितक गैस मंũालय मŐ राǛमंũी ( ŵी सुरे श गोपी )

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI)

( a) to (b) Article 279 A (5) of the Constitution prescribes that the Goods and Services Tax Council shall  recommend  the  date  with  effect  from  which  the  goods  and  services  tax  would  be  levied  on petroleum  crude,  high  speed  diesel,  motor  spirit  (commonly  known  as  petrol),  natural  gas  and aviation  turbine  fuel  (ATF).  As  per  the  section  9(2)  of  the  CGST  Act,  2017,  inclusion  of  these products in GST will require recommendation of the GST Council. So far, the GST Council, in which all States are represented, has not made any recommendation for inclusion of these goods under GST. Presently, LPG is covered in the GST regime.

(c) to (d) The GST Council in its 55th meeting held on 21st December 2024 had discussed to include ATF,  one  of  the  petroleum  products,  under  the  GST  Regime.  However,  the  said  proposal  was rejected by the Council.

(e) to (f) Since the above products are not covered under GST and also no recommendation has been made so far  by  the  GST  council,  therefore,  it  would  be  pre-mature  to  assess  the  likely  impact  of prices on the consumers.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 4684 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Merging of Corporations and Organisations
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Eatala Rajender, Shri Harendra Singh Malik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4684

ANSWERED ON 21.08.2025

## MERGING OF CORPORATIONS AND ORGANISATIONS

## 4684. SHRI EATALA RAJENDER:

## SHRI HARENDRA SINGH MALIK:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  merged  various  corporations  and  organisations  under  the  Ministry including  the  National  Project  Construction  Corporation  (NPCC)  with  Water  and  Power  Consultancy Services (India) Limited (WAPCOS) and allowed NPCC to continue as an independent entity or function as a subsidiary of WAPCOS rather than being completely merged and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is a violation of the merger rules of any Public Sector Enterprises;

(c) if so, the details thereof along with the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard;

(d)  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  a  transparent  financial  and  operational  review  before implementing any such structural changes and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether the Government is ensuring that NPCC's interests are safeguarded considering its profitable track  record  and  significant  contributions  to  the  Government  revenue  and  has  worked  out  potential conflicts of interest in various tendering processes to find a positive resolution and if so, the details and present status thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) to (e) The process of Strategic disinvestment was carried out in a transparent manner, through multi layered  decision  making  mechanism  involving  the  Inter-Ministerial  Group  (IMG),  Core  Group  of Secretaries on Disinvestment (CGD) and the empowered Alternative Mechanism at the apex Ministerial level.  The  transaction  was  supported  by  professional  advice  from  experts  such  as  the  Transaction Adviser, the Legal Adviser and the Asset Valuer, who were appointed through a transparent, competitive process. Water and Power Consultancy Services(India) Limited (WAPCOS) acquired 98.89% shares of National  Project  Construction  Corporation  Ltd.  (NPCC)  from  Government  of  India  in  March,  2019. Resultantly, NPCC has become a subsidiary company of WAPCOS. Both the Companies are functioning as separate legal entities safeguarding their interests.
Lok Sabha Question No. 4682 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Indo-Dutch Strategic Water Partnership
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Anto Antony

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4682

ANSWERED ON 21.08.2025

## INDO-DUTCH STRATEGIC WATER PARTNERSHIP

4682. SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the current status of the Indo-Dutch Strategic Water Partnership;
- (b) the key projects undertaken thereunder;
- (c) the present status of each of the said projects; and

(d)  the  details  of  the  total  funds  allocated  and  utilised  so  far  by  the  Government  under  the  said partnership, project-wise?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) to (d) Strategic Partnership on Water (SWP) between India and Netherlands aimed to intensify and expand  the  on-going  bilateral  cooperation  through  greater  involvement  of  policy  experts,  academia, knowledge institutes, private companies and communities/stakeholders. SWP envisaged establishment of Indo-Dutch  Centre  of  Excellence  on  Water.   Accordingly,  a  Centre  of  Excellence  (CoE)  has  been established in collaboration with IIT (Delhi) and Government of Netherlands focusing on Urban water and  river  management,  Artificial  Intelligence  and  Geospatial  Technologies,  Modelling  and  Managing River Dynamics, Monitoring and Modelling of Water Quality and River Economy and Finance.

CoE  is  actively  collaborating  in  initiatives  like  Urban  River  Management  Plan's  preparation, Pollution Abatement Infrastructure Monitoring etc.

An  allocation  of  Rs.  36.23  crore  has  been  made  for  institutional  arrangement  for  CoE  for  10 years.  The  National  Mission  for  Clean  Ganga  has  released  Rs.  5.98  crore  in  July  2025  to  the  Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4680 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Expansion of Strategic Petroleum Reserves
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4680 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 st  AUGUST, 2025

## Expansion of Strategic Petroleum Reserves

4680. Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy:

## पेट Ō ोिलयम और Ůाक ृ ितक गैस मंũी

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  any  plans  to  expand  the  Strategic  Petroleum  Reserves (SPRs) of the country beyond the existing capacity during the current  and upcoming financial years;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  proposed  new  SPR  locations  including  their storage capacity, estimated costs and timelines for completion;
- (c) whether  Tamil  Nadu  or  any  other  Southern  State  has  been  considered  for  hosting additional strategic reserves given their coastal and logistical advantages and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the current status of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in expanding SPRs and the involvement of international or domestic oil companies; and
- (e) the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  energy  security  through  SPR expansion in view of global geopolitical uncertainties and oil price volatility?

## ANSWER

## पेᮝोिलयम और ᮧाकृ ितक गैस मंᮢालय मᱶ रा᭔यमंᮢी ( ᮰ी सुरेश गोपी )

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI)

(a)  to  (e)  Government  of  India  (GoI),  through  a  Special  Purpose  Vehicle  called  Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL), has established Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) facilities with total capacity of 5.33 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of crude oil at 3 locations namely (i) Vishakhapatnam (1.33 MMT), (ii) Mangaluru (1.5 MMT) and (iii) Padur (2.5 MMT) which can act as buffer for short-term supply shocks. This is meant to provide for about 9.5 days of crude oil requirement.

To  further  augment  the  SPR  capacity,  Government,  in  July  2021,  had  also  approved  the establishment  of  two  additional  commercial-cum-strategic petroleum  reserve  facilities  with total storage capacity of 6.5 MMT at Chandikhol (4 MMT) in Odisha and Padur (2.5 MMT) in  Karnataka.  ISPRL  plans  to  solicit  the  investment  from  international  and  domestic  oil companies on  Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode with a total project cost of Rs. 14,527 crores.

Government evaluate, from time to time, the possibility of augmentation of storage capacities based  on  technical  and  commercial  feasibility.  Assessment  of  new  sites  for  establishing additional petroleum reserves is a continuous process.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4679 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: InvIT Issue brought by NHAI
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Mr Pathan Yusuf

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4679

ANSWERED ON 21 ST  AUGUST, 2025

## InvIT ISSUE BROUGHT BY NHAI

4679. MR PATHAN YUSUF:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  National  Highways  Authority  of  India  (NHAI)  has decided  to  set  aside  rupees  25,000  crore  worth  of  units  for  retail investors  in  its  Infrastructure  Investment  Trust  (InvIT)  issues  during the current fiscal year, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that skipping the lowest-bidder system in awarding Detailed Project Report (DPR) contracts may lead to allegations of favouritism or cost inflation, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the mechanisms being planned to ensure fair competition;
- (d) the reasons for shifting from the traditional Engineering, Procurement  and  Construction  (EPC)  model  to  the  InvIT  model  for monetization of highways; and
- (e) whether any independent economic  impact  study has been conducted regarding the longterm consequences of such privatisation, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a)     The Government has decided to set up a Public InvIT in addition to  National  Highways  Infra  Trust  (NHIT).  However,  the  size  of  the bundle  of  the  National  Highways  or  the  extent  of  offerings  for  retail investors is to be decided. (b)  &  (c)       The  Government  has  come  across  a  number  of  quality, quantity as well as design issues in Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) leading  to  frequent  changes  of  scope,  etc.  To  solve  these issues and in order to ensure fair competition, Government  is contemplating  to  award  the  work  of  DPR  Consultancy  based  on  H-1 bidder which shall be decided through QCBS (Quality and Cost Based Selection) process. The system envisages a fair and objective assessment of past performance as well as credentials and capacities of the DPR  consultants and bidding to be undertaken on the performance back guarantee. (d)  Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) is one mode of construction of highways through competitive bidding process where as InvIT model is a monetization of constructed highways adopted by the Government. As such, there is no question of  EPC  mode competing with InvIT. (e) The Government has undertaken monetization of National Highways  under National Monetization Pipelines, whereby only tolling rights are auctioned to Concessionaires through a transparent bidding  process  (SEBI-regulated  book  building  and  bond  issuing process  in  case  of  InvIT)  for  a  fixed  period  after  which  the  tolling rights revert to the Government. In all cases, the road assets remain vested in the Government  and  user  fee  (toll) charges  are in accordance with Rules made under the National Highways Act, 1956.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4678 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Promotion of Rural Entrepreneurship
Ministry: MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Asked by: Dr. Kadiyam Kavya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.4678 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.08.2025

## PROMOTION OF RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

4678. DR. KADIYAM KAVYA:

Will the Minister of MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES be pleased to state:

- (a) the initiatives launched to promote  rural entrepreneurship in the  Warangal  Lok  Sabha Constituency, especially for Scheduled Caste youth;
- (b) the  details  of  financial  assistance  or  loans  provided  to  local  startups  under  schemes  like MUDRA; and
- (c) whether there are plans to establish incubation centres in the constituency and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a): Ministry of MSME, through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), is implementing the  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP).  It  is  a  central  sector  scheme generating employment opportunities primarily in rural areas by assisting prospective entrepreneurs in setting up new micro enterprises in the non-farm sector. Under PMEGP, beneficiaries belonging to rural areas and those belonging to Scheduled Castes are covered under special category of beneficiaries who are eligible for higher rate of subsidy and lower own contribution to the project cost.

The  Ministry  of  MSME  also  implements  the  'National  Scheduled  Caste  and  Scheduled Tribe Hub' throughout the country including Warangal for strengthening capacity of SC/ST entrepreneurs to participate  in  public  procurement  and  achieve  the  mandated  4%  of  procurement  from  SC/ST  MSEs. Several  initiatives  have  been  taken  under  the  Scheme  to  provide  professional  support  to  SC/ST entrepreneurs in skilling, capacity building, market linkages, finance facilitation, tender bid participation etc.

- (b): Under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), collateral free institutional credit is provided by Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) i.e. Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs),  Non-Banking  Financial  Companies  (NBFCs)  and  Micro  Finance  Institutions  (MFIs).  Any individual, who is eligible to take a loan and has a business plan for small business enterprise can avail loan up to Rs.20 lakh under PMMY for income generating activities in the manufacturing, trading and service sectorsacross four loan categories, viz. Shishu (loans upto Rs. 50,000), Kishor (loans above Rs. 50,000 and upto Rs. 5 lakh), Tarun (loans above Rs. 5 lakh and upto Rs. 10 lakh) and Tarun Plus (loans above  Rs.  10  lakh  and  upto  Rs.  20  lakh-  for  those  entrepreneurs  who  have  availed  and  successfully repaid previous loans under the 'Tarun' category w.e.f. 24.10.2024).
- (c): Presently, there is no proposal for setting up of an incubation centre in the Warangal Lok Sabha Constituency.

*****