Lok Sabha Question No. 1507 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Rail Service to Poonch and Rajouri District
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Mian Altaf Ahmad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1507 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2024

## RAIL SERVICE TO POONCH AND RAJOURI DISTRICT

1507. SHRI MIAN ALTAF AHMAD:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  two  border  and  Hilly  districts  namely Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir have been deprived any Rail service for a very long time and if so, the reasons therefor;

(b) the steps taken by the Government to connect Poonch and Rajouri districts with Rail connectivity; and

(c) the details of the time required to connect the two districts with rail connectivity?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1507 BY SHRI MIAN ALTAF AHMAD TO BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  31.07.2024  REGARDING  RAIL SERVICE TO POONCH AND RAJOURI DISTRICT (a)  to  (c):  Railway  projects  are  sanctioned  and  executed  Zonal Railway wise and not State/District/City wise as Railway projects may span across State boundaries. Survey  for  new  line  between  Jammu  and  Poonch  via  Akhnur  and Rajauri (223km) was carried out. The cost of project was assessed as

₹22,771 crore.

Sanctioning of Railway projects is a continuous and dynamic process of Indian Railway. Railway Infrastructure Projects are taken up on the basis of remunerativeness, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate  routes  including  connectivity  to  hilly  and  border  areas, augmentation of congested/saturated lines, socio-economic considerations  etc.  depending  upon  liabilities  of  ongoing  projects, overall availability of funds and competing demands.

5 Nos of surveys (04 new line and 01 doubling) falling in the State of Jammu & Kashmir having a total length of 326 Km have been taken up under PM  Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP)  for the development  of  multimodal  connectivity  infrastructure  to  various Economic  Zones  with  an  objective  to  have  integrated  planning, enhanced logistics efficiency and remove gaps for seamless movement of people,  goods  and  services,  connectivity  to  industrial clusters,  ports,  mines,  power  plants,  agricultural  zones  including tourist and cultural places.

As on 01.04.2024, Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula new Rail line project of total length 272 km, costing ₹41,000 crore, falling in the State of Jammu & Kashmir is in construction stage,  out  of  which, 255 km length has been commissioned  and an expenditure of ₹38,931 crore has been incurred upto March, 2024.

Since  2014,  there  has  been  substantial  increase  in  fund  allocation and commensurate commissioning of projects across Indian Railways.  Budget  allocation  for  Infrastructure  projects  and  safety works falling fully/partly in the state of Punjab:-

| Period   | Average Outlay   | %age more as compared to average allocation during 2009-14   |
|----------|------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | ₹1044 Cr./Yr     | -                                                            |
| 2023-24  | ₹6,003 Cr.       | Approx. 5.75 times                                           |

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