opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 3228 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Investigation of Airports in Mumbai
Ministry: CORPORATE AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Tariq Anwar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 3228 ANSWERED ON Monday, December 16, 2024/ AGRAHAYANA 25, 1946 (SAKA)

## INVESTIGATION OF AIRPORTS IN MUMBAI

## 3228. SHRI TARIQ ANWAR:

Will the Minister of CORPORATE AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has completed its investigation into the accounts of the two airports in Mumbai and if so, the findings thereof and if not, the reasons therefor along with the current status in this regard;
- (b) whether the Government is planning to extend the investigation  beyond  the  current  two  airports  to  include  all  six airports despite the objections from the NITI Ayog;
- (c) whether the Government is considering a Joint Parliamentary Committee  investigation  into  the  operation  and  maintenance  of these airports; and
- (d)
- if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  Corporate  Affairs;  Minister  of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

(Shri Harsh Malhotra)

- (a) :  Investigation  into  the  affairs  of  9  companies    of  the  GVK Group  including  Navi  Mumbai  International  Airport  Private  Limited and Mumbai International Airport Limited was orderedon 05.09.2023 under section 210 (1) (c) of the Companies Act, 2013 (the Act) to examine and report on the offences / contraventions of the Act.  The investigation is under way.
- :  Presently,  there  is  no  proposal  to  extend  the  scope  of  the
- (b) investigation to other companies.
- (c)
- & (d) : No such information is available with Ministry.

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 3227 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Charges Levied on Kisan Credit Card
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Shri Amra Ram

## Government of India Ministry of Finance

## Department of Financial Services

## LOK SABHA

## Unstarred Question No. 3227

Answered on Monday,16 December, 2024/ 25 Agrahayana, 1946 (Saka)

## Charges Levied on Kisan Credit Card

†3227. Shri Amra Ram:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the processing charges are being levied on the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) every year;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the charges which are being levied on the Kisan Credit Card and the basis of these;
- (c) whether any confirmation is obtained from the cardholders to carry out the inspection;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the number of times the inspection charges are levied on the Kisan Credit Card in a year;
- (e) the rate of interest being charged on Kisan Credit Card on month/half-year/annual basis;
- (f) whether the online account proof of land is valid for Kisan Credit Card and if so, the reasons for the search report of the advocate being taken by the Baroda Rajasthan Regional Rural Bank?

## Answer

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (b): As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) circular dated 04.07.2018, processing fee, inspection charges and other charges for Kisan Credit Card scheme (KCC) loans are to be decided by banks as per their respective  Board approved policies. The Government has issued an advisory to all the banks to waive the processing, documentation, inspection and all other service charges for KCC loans upto ₹ 3 lakhs, keeping in view the hardship and financial distress of small and marginal farmers.

(c) to (d): It is informed by the banks that the permission of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) holder is obtained as a part of documents executed between banks and KCC holder to carry out inspection. The amount and periodicity of inspection charges is decided as per the respective banks' boardapproved policies.

(e): Under the KCC scheme, loans up to ₹3 lakh are available at a concessional interest rate of 7% per annum. Additionally, farmers who repay their loans promptly can avail interest subvention of 3%, effectively reducing the interest rate to 4% per annum. For loans exceeding ₹3 lakh, the interest rates are determined by the respective bank's board-approved policies.

(f)  NABARD  and  leading  Public  Sector  Banks  have  reported  that  digitally  signed  online  land records are accepted for KCC applications. However, the legal opinion is prescribed in order to confirm the authenticity of land record documents, since the digitisation of land records is yet to be completed in many states.  Baroda Rajasthan Regional Rural Bank has reported that certificates are obtained  from  Tehsildars  regarding  ownership  and  nil  pendency  of  government  demand  on agriculture land. In case of non-availability of certificate from Tehsildar, search report is obtained from Panel Advocate.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 3226 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Exempted Categories of Land under Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Raja Ram Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3226

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.12.2024

## Exempted Categories of Land under Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023

## 3226.   SHRI RAJA RAM SINGH:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether under the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, States land situated within  100  km  along  the  international  borders,  Line  of  Control  or  Line  of  Actual Control, proposed to be used for construction of strategic linear project for national importance or security;
- (b) whether any Committee has been formed to decide on the bench mark of 100 km, if so, the recommendations of the said Committee;
- (c) whether  in  context  of  this  Policy  has  the  Government  drawn  plans  to  protect  the environment of Himalayan States; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (d) The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, passed by the Parliament, inter-alia  provided  that  such  forest  land,  as  is  situated  within  a  distance  of hundred kilometres along international borders or Line of Control or Line of Actual Control, as the case may be, proposed to  be  used for construction of strategic linear project of national importance and concerning national security, shall not be covered under the provisions of  Van  (Sanrakshan  Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 has been notified on 04.08.2023 and subsequently enforced by the Central Government w.e.f. 01.12.2023.

The extent of 100 km has been decided in consultation with the ministries and stakeholders concerned. Further, in accordance with the provisions of  section 1A(3)  of  the  Adhiniyam,  the  Central  Government  has  issued  guidelines  on 29.11.2023 and 24.09.2024 specifying the terms and conditions to be abided by the States  and Union territories while considering exemptions provided under section 1A(2) of the Adhiniyam.

***
Lok Sabha Question No. 3224 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Levy of Service Charges by Banks on Credit Cards at Petrol Pumps
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Shri Rajeev Rai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3224

ANSWERED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2024/AGRAHAYANA 25, 1946 (SAKA)

## LEVY OF SERVICE CHARGES BY BANKS ON CREDIT CARDS AT PETROL PUMPS

## 3224. Shri Rajeev Rai:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that banks levy service charges on the usage of credit/debit cards at petrol pumps;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof and if no, the reasons therefor signalling out transactions at petrol pumps for such service charges;
- (c) whether levying of such charges by the Banks is not an impediment in achieving the goal of less utilisation of cash in economy and promoting digital transactions; and
- (d) whether the Government has fixed any time line for removal of these service charges and if so, the details thereof?

## Answer

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (c) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its Discussion Paper on Charges in Payment Systems dated  August  17,  2022  stated  that  charges  for  payment  services  should  be  reasonable  and competitively  determined  for  users  while  also  providing  optimal  revenue  stream  for  the intermediaries. An effective payment system operation necessitates the proper determination of fees, charges, and prices to guarantee minimal costs for the users while providing suitable returns for the operators. The optimal scenario would involve allowing the market forces to dictate these cost-related  structures,  taking  into  account  demand,  supply,  growth  and  user  needs.  Thus,  the imposition of charges by the banks should not hinder the objective of reducing cash usage in the economy as long as it encourages greater adoption of digital payment channels.

- (d) RBI has informed that they have not issued any instructions in this matter.
Lok Sabha Question No. 3223 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Establishment of IIT or Similar Institution in Amritsar
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Gurjeet Singh Aujla

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3223 ANSWERED ON 16/12/2024

## Establishment of IIT or Similar Institution in Amritsar

## 3223. SHRI GURJEET SINGH AUJLA:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  Amritsar's  strategic  location  and potential make it an ideal Place for development as a technology and research hub;
- (b) whether  establishing  an  IIT  or  a  similar  institution  in  this  region  would significantly enhance education, innovation, and attract talent and investment;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  any  plans  or  proposals  to  establish  such  an institution in Amritsar to foster growth in this important area; and
- (d) whether  making  Amritsar  a  hub  of  technology  is  likely  to  generate  job opportunities and career growth for youth as most of the youth is leaving the country India for studies and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a) to (d): National Education Policy  (NEP) 2020 envisions multidisciplinary  and holistic education cutting across sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. The policy emphasizes moving towards multidisciplinary educational institutions to enable high-quality cross-disciplinary teaching and research across fields.

Currently, an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) is already operational at Amritsar. Additionally, there are many other Centrally Funded Higher Education institutions in Punjab like Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, National

…contd Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Mohali, Indian Institute of  Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bathinda, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET) Sangrur and a Central University of Punjab.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3222 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Minimum Wages to Contract Workers in CPSUs
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Shri Subbarayan K, Com. Selvaraj V

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3222

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.12.2024

## Minimum Wages to Contract Workers in CPSUs

## 3222.    Com. Selvaraj V: Shri Subbarayan K:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of contract workers employed in the CPSUs along with details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has data that the contract and casual workers in the CPSUs are paid minimum wages of the respective sectors;
- (c)  if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)    if  not,  whether  any  mechanism  is  being  developed  to  collect  the  details  and  ensure payment of minimum wages to all the contract and casual workers in all the CPSUs?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  As per information provided by the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in the Public Enterprises (PE) Survey 2022-23, the number of casual/ contract workers employed in CPSEs is 6,47,610.
- (b) to (d) CPSEs  function  under  the  administrative  control  of  respective  Ministries/ Departments.  All  CPSEs  are  required  to  comply  with  all  statutory  legislation  including Minimum Wages Act.

***
Lok Sabha Question No. 3221 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Surplus Lands held by Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Dr. M K Vishnu Prasad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3221

## Surplus Lands held by Public Sector Undertaking (PSUs)

## 3221. Dr. M K Vishnu Prasad:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

(a)  the  details  of  the  surplus  lands  held  by  Public  Sector  Undertaking  (PSUs)  across  the country;

(b) whether the Government has proposed to develop theses surplus lands with the help of private players; and

(c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (c) Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) function under the administrative control of respective Ministries/ Departments. The identification and details of surplus land, if any, and  decision  regarding  potential  requirement  for  expansion,  diversification  or  disposal  are made by the boards of the CPSEs. Instructions have been issued to Ministries/ Departments to ensure that CPSEs maintain and update the data of land holdings including the surplus land and to formulate the strategies with respect to optimization of such land.

****
Lok Sabha Question No. 280 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-13
Subject: Development of New Greenfield Ports
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri Baijayant Panda

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *280

ANSWERED ON 13.12.2024

## DEVELOPMENT OF NEW GREENFIELD PORTS

*280.    SHRI BAIJAYANT PANDA:

## Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

- a) whether the Government has any plans to build new greenfield ports across
2. the country; b) if so, the details thereof along with number of greenfield ports currently under construction and those already operational, State-wise; and
- c) the amount of funds allocated and utilised for these projects?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(a) to (c)     A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (c) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *  280  FOR  ANSWER  ON  13.12.2024,  RAISED  BY NEW

SHRI BAIJAYANT PANDA REGARDING 'DEVELOPMENT OF GREENFIELD PORTS' (a) & (b) Yes.  The Union Cabinet, in its meeting on June 19, 2024, approved the development  of  a  new  major  Greenfield  port  at  Vadhavan  in  Maharashtra  by Vadhavan Port Private Limited (VPPL) with Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed by  Jawaharlal  Nehru  Port  Authority  (JNPA)  and  Maharashtra  Maritime  Board, Government  of  Maharashtra  with  a  74:26  equity  shareholding,  respectively.  The estimated project cost is Rs. 76,220 crore.  The port has a natural draft of 20 meters and a cumulative capacity of 298 Million Metric Tons (MMT) per annum. Additionally, on  September  4,  2024,  the  Government  has  notified  another  new  major  port  at Galathea Bay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. (c) While the Government of India has not earmarked budgetary support for the Vadhavan Port, it has been decided that VPPL will fund the project through its own resources and Public-Private Partnership (PPP). VPPL has utilised approx. Rs. 170

crore for the project so far.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 277 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-13
Subject: Regularisation of Employees under NUHM and NTEP
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Haribhai Patel

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 277 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 13 TH DECEMBER, 2024

## REGULARISATION OF EMPLOYEES UNDER NUHM AND NTEP

## *277. SHRI HARIBHAI PATEL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any plans to regularise the employment of temporary employees/officers working under the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) and the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) who have been serving for over 14-15 years;
- (b) if so, the details of the last annual salary increment provided to these employees along with the reasons for the delay in subsequent increments since the salary rationalization in 2018;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to provide loyalty bonuses and experience bonuses to NUHM and NTEP employees who have served for more than 10 years, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to increase the annual leave from 15 to 30 days and to introduce risk allowances for these employees given the nature of their work with patients having contagious diseases like HIV and TB; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

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

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 277 FOR 13 TH DECEMBER, 2024

(a) to (e) The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) and National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) are implemented under the aegis of the National Health Mission (NHM). All the administrative and personnel matters related to human resources for health lie with the respective State/UT Governments. Under National Health Mission (NHM), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare provides financial and technical support to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems based on the requirements posed by them in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) within their overall resource envelope. The provision of timely annual increments, loyalty bonus, increase of annual leave and introduction of risk allowance to such personnel is the responsibility of the respective State Government.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 276 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-13
Subject: Role of Artificial Intelligence in Boosting Pharmaceutical Sector
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 276 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 13 th  DECEMBER, 2024

## Role of Artificial Intelligence in Boosting Pharmaceutical Sector

## *276. Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the importance of advanced technologies such as  Artificial  Intelligence,  Block  Chains  etc.  which  can  play  a  major  role  in  boosting  the pharmaceutical sector in the country;
- (b) if so, the details in this regard and the various steps taken by the Government to leverage such technological developments to the sector's advantage in the country; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to boost the pharmaceutical sector in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

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

Statement referred to in reply to the Lok Sabha Starred Q. No. 276 (16 th  POSITION) for answer  on  13.12.2024  raised  by  Shri  Dhairyasheel  Sambhajirao  Mane  regarding  the ' Role of Artificial Intelligence in Boosting Pharmaceutical Sector '

(a) & (b): Yes, Department of Pharmaceuticals has taken steps to promote R&D in the sector including in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning through the Promotion of Research and Innovation in the Pharma-Meditech Sector (PRIP) Scheme. Further, NIPERs under the aegis of Dept. of Pharmaceuticals have introduced courses that cover topics related to Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Blockchain Technology and they also provide training to students in AI-based tools to build human resource capacities in these areas for the pharmaceutical sector. In addition, the Department of Biotechnology also supports the projects for application of Artificial Intelligence for Affordable and Accessible Healthcare.

(c): The Government of India has undertaken several measures to boost the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, including the implementation of PLI Scheme for critical Key Starting Materials,  Drug  Intermediates  &  Active  Pharmaceutical  Ingredients;  the  PLI  Scheme  for Pharmaceuticals; the PLI Scheme for Medical Devices; the Medical Device Parks Scheme; the Bulk Drug Park Scheme; Strengthening Medical Device Industry Scheme and PRIP Scheme.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 275 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-13
Subject: AIIMS in Jalandhar
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE

## LOKSABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 275 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 13 TH DECEMBER, 2024

## AIIMS IN JALANDHAR

## *275. SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is considering a proposal to establish a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Jalandhar, Punjab given the growing healthcare needs and rising cases of non-communicable diseases in the State;
- (b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the timeline fixed for the completion of the proposed AIIMS, including the location and estimated budget; and
- (c) if not, the reasons for not prioritizing a new AIIMS in the State of Punjab despite the critical need for advanced healthcare facilities in the region?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

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

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 275 FOR 13 TH DECEMBER, 2024

(a) to (c) Under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), setting up of 22 All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has been approved including AIIMS at Bathinda in Punjab, which is functional. Further, for strengthening and upgrading tertiary healthcare facilities in Punjab, under another component of PMSSY, upgradation of following Government Medical Colleges has been completed by way of construction of Super Specialty Blocks (SSBs) on Centre-State cost sharing basis: (i) Government Medical College, Amritsar and (ii) Government Medical College, Patiala. In current phase of PMSSY there is no proposal to establish a new AIIMS in Jalandhar, Punjab.

*****