Lok Sabha Question No. 29 (STARRED), answered on 2024-11-27
Subject: Funds for Pending Railway Projects in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Thiru D M Kathir Anand

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.29 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.11.2024

FUNDS FOR PENDING RAILWAY PROJECTS IN TAMIL NADU

- *29.  THIRU D M KATHIR ANAND:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  provided  adequate  funds  for  the pending  and   ongoing  railway  projects  in  Tamil  Nadu  that  are currently lagging way behind its date of completion;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  taken  serious  steps  to  ensure timely  completion  of  railway  projects  in  Tamil  Nadu  pending more  than  five  years,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  accelerate  the completion of pending projects?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  29  BY  THIRU  D  M  KATHIR  ANAND  TO  BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  27.11.2024  REGARDING  FUNDS  FOR PENDING RAILWAY PROJECTS IN TAMIL NADU.

(a)  to  (d):    Railway  projects  are  sanctioned  and  taken  up  Zonal Railway-wise and not State-wise as the Indian Railway's projects may span across various State boundaries.  Railway projects in Tamil Nadu are  covered  by  Southern  Railway  (SR),  South  Central  Railway  (SCR) and South Western Railway (SWR) zone of Indian Railways. The details of  Railway  projects  including  allotment  of  funds  and  expenditure project-wise  and  Zonal  Railway  wise  are  made  available  in  public domain on Indian Railways website.

Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in fund allocation in State of Tamil Nadu as under:-

| Period   | Average Outlay   | Increase w.r.t. average allocation of 2009-14   |
|----------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 879 crore/year   | -                                               |
| 2023-24  | 6,080 crore      | more than 6 times                               |
| 2024-25  | 6,362crore       | more than 7 times                               |

As on 01.04.2024, 22 Railways infrastructures projects (10  new  line, 03  Gauge  conversion  and  09  doubling)  of  total  length  2,587  Km, costing  33,467 crore, falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu are in different stages of planning/sanctioning/ execution, out of which 665 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of  7,153 crore

has been incurred upto March' 2024. The summary is as under:-

| Category                |   No. of projects | Total Length   | Length Commissioned   | Balance to complete   | Expenditure upto March 2024 ( in Crore)   |
|-------------------------|-------------------|----------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| New line                |                10 | 872 Km         | 24 Km                 | 848 Km                | 1,223                                     |
| Gauge conversion        |                 3 | 748 Km         | 604 Km                | 144 Km                | 3,267                                     |
| Doubling /multitracking |                 9 | 967 Km         | 37 Km                 | 930 Km                | 2,664                                     |
| Total                   |                22 | 2587 Km        | 665 Km                | 1922 Km               | 7,153                                     |

Railway acquires the land through State Government. State Government  assesses  the  compensation  amount  and  advises  to Railway.  On  receipt  of  demand  from  State  Government,  Railway deposits compensation amount with concerned District Land acquisition Authority.

Execution of important infrastructure projects falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu is held up due to delay in land acquisition. Status of land acquisition in Tamil Nadu is as under:

| Total Land required for Projects in Tamil Nadu   | 3389 Ha        |
|--------------------------------------------------|----------------|
| Land Acquired                                    | 866 Ha ( 26%)  |
| Balance Land to be acquired                      | 2523 Ha ( 74%) |

Government  of  India  is  geared  up  to  execute  projects,  however success depends upon the support of Government of Tamil Nadu. For instance, details of some major projects which are delayed due to land acquisition are as under:-

|   SN | Name of the project                         |   Total land required (in Ha) |   Land acquired (in Ha) |   Balance Land to be acquired (in Ha) |
|------|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|    1 | Tindivanam -Tiruvannamalainew line (185 km) |                           273 |                      33 |                                   240 |
|    2 | Attiputtu - Puttur New Line (88 km)         |                           189 |                       0 |                                   189 |
|    3 | Morappur - Dharmapuri (36 km)               |                            93 |                       0 |                                    93 |
|    4 | Mannargudi - Pattukkottai (41 km)           |                           152 |                       0 |                                   152 |
|    5 | Thanjavur - Pattukottai (52 Km)             |                           196 |                       0 |                                   196 |

The completion of any Railway project depends on various factors like quick  land  acquisition  by  State  Government,  forestry  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 site, number of working months in a year for particular project site due to climatic conditions etc.

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