opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 5378 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Demand for Train Stoppage at Kesrisinghpur Railway Station
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Kuldeep Indora

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5378

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026

## DEMAND FOR TRAIN STOPPAGE AT KESRISINGHPUR RAILWAY STATION

## †5378. SHRI KULDEEP INDORA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  passengers  from  surrounding rural areas of Kesrisinghpur Railway Station in Sri Ganganagar district, Rajasthan  depend  on  rail  services,  but  are  forced  to  travel  to  Sri Ganganagar/other  distant  stations  due  to  lack  of  stoppages  for  train numbers  22724  and  12489  at  the  said  station  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  demand  for  providing stoppages for these two trains at Kesrisinghpur has been long-standing among local representatives and citizens and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether the Government is considering to provide stoppages for train numbers 22724 and 12489 at Kesrisinghpur Railway Station, considering  passenger  convenience,  regional  requirements  and  the potential passengers volumes and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the details of timeframe for its implementation?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (d)  Presently, Kesrisinghpur is  served by 07 pairs of train services, as listed under:-

|   SN | Train Number and Name                             |
|------|---------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | 04773/04774 Shri Ganganagar - Suratgarh Passenger |
|    2 | 04779/04780 Shri Ganganagar - Suratgarh Passenger |

§

|   3 | 12455/12456 Delhi Sarai Rohilla - Bikaner Express   |
|-----|-----------------------------------------------------|
|   4 | 14719/14720 Bikaner - Amritsar Express              |
|   5 | 22997/22998 Jhalawar City - Shri Ganganagar Express |
|   6 | 54759/54760 Hanumangarh - Suratgarh Passenger       |
|   7 | 54761/54762 Hanumangarh - Suratgarh Passenger       |

12489/12490  Shri  Ganganagar  -  Dadar  Express  and  22723/22724  Huzur Sahib Nanded - Shri Ganganagar Express have their scheduled stoppages at Shri Ganganagar and Shri Karanpur stations near Kesrisinghpur.

Besides,  provision  of  stoppages  of  train  services  depends  on  the  traffic justification,  operational  feasibility  including  availability  of  extra  time  on the  section  & availability  of  matching  infrastructure  such  as  Platform length etc.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5377 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Closure of Colonial-era Post Offices in Kolar Gold Fields
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri M Mallesh Babu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5377 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2026

## CLOSURE OF COLONIAL-ERA POST OFFICES IN KOLAR GOLD FIELDS

## 5377.   SHRI M MALLESH BABU:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that colonial-era post offices in Kolar Gold Fields including Bharathnagar, Coramandel, Oorgaum and the historic Champion Reefs Post Office (built in 1907) are facing closure or shifting due to allegedly inaccurate reports provided by local postal authorities and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the specific criteria and data metrics  used to justify the proposed closure or relocation of these offices and whether a public consultation was conducted with local residents;

(c) whether there  is  any  proposal    to    upgrade  the  infrastructure  and  provide  modern  digital services  at  these  historic  sites,  rather  than  closing  them,  to  preserve  their  heritage  status  while ensuring efficient public service; and

(d) whether the Government proposes to order an independent inquiry into the decision-making process of the local postal division to ensure that these closures are not being influenced by external interests and  to ensure transparency in the management of these public assets?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) Post  Offices  not  meeting  the  departmental  norms  i.e.  distance/population/  income norms  are  being  merged  or  relocated  under  the  ongoing  network  rationalization  activity.  Since Bharathnagar and Champion Reefs Sub Post Offices are not fulfilling the departmental norms, these are to be relocated. However, there is no proposal for relocation under consideration in respect of Oorgaum and Coramandal Sub Post Offices. There are four post offices within the range of 3.5 kms of Champion Reefs Sub Post Office, while Marikuppam Sub Post Office is situated at just 1.7 Kms away. The nearest post office in  case of  Bharathnagar Sub  Post  Office,  is  BEML  (Bharat  Earth Movers Limited) Nagar Sub Post Office located at a distance of 2.7 kms. Since optimization of the postal network is a continuous process based on objective departmental parameters, local resident's consultations are not mandated for network rationalization. However, all postal services are being catered through nearest post office to the public in the said area.

(c) No Sir. All the available Postal services and digital services viz., India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)  door-step  banking,  Aadhaar  Enabled  Payment  System  (AEPS)  etc.,  are  being  provided through the post offices situated in the local areas.

(d) In view of (a) to (c) above, question doesn't arise.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5375 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Network Congestion
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Aditya Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5375 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2026

## NETWORK CONGESTION

## †5375. SHRI ADITYA YADAV:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken any initiative to identify the issues related to network congestion, call drops, internet speed, service reliability and uneven coverage in the Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh, particularly in villages, outlying hamlets and agrarian regions where communication availability remains critical;

(b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  specific  measures  adopted  by  the  Government  to enhance network capacity, improve service reliability, strengthen coordination with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), bridge persistent connectivity gaps and ensure uniform quality of communication services across the entire district; and

- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) monitors the performance of service providers against the benchmark of various Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, as prescribed in QoS Regulation, by collecting License Service Area (LSA) wise Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) from service providers on regular basis. As per PMR for the month of January 2026, all service providers are meeting the benchmark of all network related QoS parameters of access service (wireless) in Uttar Pradesh (West) LSA which includes Budaun district.

Further,  Government  has  taken  several  measures  to  enhance  network  capacity,  improve service reliability, bridge connectivity gaps in the country:

- i. Uncovered  villages  are  being  provided  coverage  under  various  Digital  Bharat  Nidhi schemes.
- ii. Assignment of sufficient spectrum for mobile services through auction.
- iii. Spectrum sharing, trading and surrender has been permitted for efficient use of spectrum.
- iv. Simplification  of  Procedure  for  SACFA  (Standing  Advisory  Committee  on  Radio Frequency Allocations) clearance.
- v. Notification  of  Telecommunications  Right  of  Way  (RoW)  Rules  and  launch  of  PM GatiShakti  Sanchar  portal  has  resulted  in  streamlining  of  RoW  permissions  and expeditious clearance for installation of telecom infrastructure.
- vi. TRAI  has  revised  Quality  of  Service  benchmarks  on  02.08.2024  applicable  from 01.10.2024  for  various  parameters,  and  performance  of  service  providers  against  the benchmark is regularly monitored by TRAI to ensure better quality of services.

Presently, there are 4,775 Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) installed in the district and all 1,678  villages  in  the  district  are  covered  with  mobile  connectivity.  Further,  out  of  1,041  Gram Panchayats  (GPs),  692  GPs  have  been  made  service-ready  for  broadband  connectivity  under BharatNet project.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5372 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Poor Condition of Old Station Road at Chirakkal
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri K Sudhakaran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5372

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026

## POOR CONDITION OF OLD STATION ROAD AT CHIRAKKAL

## 5372. SHRI K SUDHAKARAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that the Old Station Road at Chirakkal (Arppamthod Railway Gate - LC 246 - to the Railway Foot Over Bridge) in Kannur district is in a very poor condition and remains the only untarred  road  actively  used  in  the  Kannur-Chirakkal  area  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  said  road  falls  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Railways,  due  to which the local Panchayat authorities are unable to undertake tarring/improvement works and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the Government  has  received  any  representations from residents/local  bodies  regarding  the  repair  and  improvement  of  this approximately one-kilometre road and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government considers undertaking the tarring/improvement of the said road at the earliest or grant permission to  the  Chirakkal  Grama  Panchayat/Block  Panchayat  to  carry  out  the work?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (d): At Chirakkal railway station, proper approach roads are already available  on  either  side  of  station  building  for  easy  and  convenient movement of passengers and public.

Railway station and LC no. 246 are also connected by the approach roads existing on station building side.

§

On  the  other  side  of  the  station,  there  exists  kuchcha  pathway  on  the railway  land  alongside  the  track.  This  connects  foot-over  bridge  and  LC246. This vacant railway land along the railway track is kept for railway's operational and infrastructural needs such as multi-tracking, freight terminals etc.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5368 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Investment for Nuclear Power Generation
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Smt. Satabdi Roy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-5368 ANSWERED ON  25/03/2026

## INVESTMENT FOR NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION

## 5368.   SMT. SATABDI ROY

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether it is a fact that India will require an investment of about USD 217 billion to achieve its nuclear power capacity targets by the year 2047 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the current nuclear power capacity, targets set for the years 2030, 2040 and 2047 along with the progress made so far; and
- (c) the  details  of  the  sources  of  funding  proposed  for  this  expansion  including  the  role envisaged for public investment, PSUs and private participation?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) A nuclear power capacity of about 90 GW is to be added in the period upto 2047 to achieve the target of Nuclear Energy Mission of 100 GW by 2047. The exact investment can only be determined after each of the project proposals are finalised.
- (b) The present installed nuclear power capacity is  8.78 GW (excluding RAPS-1). The present  target  is  to  achieve  a  capacity  of  about  22  GW  by  2031-32  by  progressive completion of projects presently at various stages of implementation. The target set for 2047 is 100 GW. A roadmap has been drawn up for the same.
- (c) The Government has enacted the SHANTI Act to enable wider participation in nuclear power, both by public and private sector. Of the total capacity of 100 GW planned, about 54 GW is planned to be set up by NPCIL and the balance by companies in the public and private sector.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5366 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Integration of BharatNet Project with National Optical Fibre Network
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5366 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2026

## INTEGRATION OF BHARATNET PROJECT WITH NATIONAL OPTICAL FIBRE NETWORK

## 5366.   DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) the present status of implementation of the BharatNet project aimed at providing high-speed broadband connectivity across the country and the extent to which urban and peri-urban areas have been integrated with the national optical fibre network;

(b) whether the Government has undertaken any specific initiatives to extend the benefits of the scheme  to  densely  populated  urban  constituencies  such  as  the  North  Chennai  Lok  Sabha Constituency  where  affordable  and  reliable  internet  connectivity  is  critical  for  students,  small businesses, fishermen communities and informal sector workers;

(c) if  so,  the  details  of  optical  fibre  infrastructure,  public  Wi-Fi  hotspots  and  last-mile connectivity created in Chennai district during the last three years along with the funds allocated and utilised; and

(d) the steps  proposed to  strengthen  digital  inclusion, improve  network reliability  and ensure affordable broadband access in underserved urban pockets under the scheme?

## ANSWER

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

(a) Total  number  of  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  made  service-ready  under  BharatNet  Project  in Phase-I and Phase-II across the country till 28.02.2026 is 2,14,921, which includes 10,886 GPs of Tamil Nadu..

(b) to (d) BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  create  network  to connect all the Gram Panchayats (GPs)/ Villages in the country. Amended BharatNet program (ABP) is  being  implemented in the country to provide connectivity to all inhabited GPs and to non-GP villages on a demand basis. The infrastructure created under the project is a national asset, accessible on  a  non-discriminatory  basis  to  the  Service  Providers,  and  the  same  can  be  utilized  to  provide broadband services, such as Fiber to the Home (FTTH) connections, leased lines, dark fiber, backhaul to mobile towers, etc. in the rural areas.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5361 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Hindi Name Boards at  Tiruchirappalli Divisional  Railway Office, Tamil Nadu
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Ve Vaithilingam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5361

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026

## HINDI NAME BOARDS AT TIRUCHIRAPPALLI DIVISIONAL RAILWAY OFFICE, TAMIL NADU

## 5361. SHRI VE VAITHILINGAM:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  reports  regarding  the installation  of  Hindi  name  boards  at  the  Tiruchirappalli  Divisional Railway Office in Tamil Nadu and the subsequent protests that led to their removal;
- (b) if so, the details of the circumstances under which such name boards were installed and the reasons cited by the Railway authorities for their
- removal; and
- (c) the measures proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure that language usage in railway establishments in non-Hindi speaking States and  Union  Territories  including  Puducherry  reflects  local  linguistic sensitivities and complies with existing official language policies?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (c): Indian Railways follows the policy laid down by the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, which is the nodal ministry. As per their policy in Regions 'B' & 'C' (i.e. non-Hindi speaking states) Sign Boards, Name Boards etc. should be displayed in Regional Language, Hindi and English.

§

The arch at the entry gate of Tiruchirappalli Divisional Railway Office was widened and reconstructed for easy movement and convenience of public and staff,  displaying  information  in  Tamil,  Hindi  and  English,  in  line  with the Official Language Implementation Policy.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5358 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Mobile Network and Broadband Connectivity in Rural Areas of Bhagalpur
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Ajay Kumar Mandal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5358 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2026

## MOBILE NETWORK AND BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY IN RURAL AREAS OF BHAGALPUR

## †5358. SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) the  current  status  of  mobile  network  and  broadband  connectivity  in  the  rural  areas  of Bhagalpur;

- (b) the number of Gram Panchayats connected under the BharatNet Project;
- (c) the initiatives taken for the modernization of Post Offices; and
- (d) whether there is any proposal for the expansion of 5G services?

## ANSWER

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

(a) As of January, 2026, all 1,520 villages (as per data of Registrar General of India) in Bhagalpur District of Bihar are covered with 4G mobile broadband connectivity.

(b) BharatNet project is implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages beyond GPs on demand basis across the country including Bhagalpur District of Bihar. As of February, 2026, a total of 234 GPs has been made Service Ready in Bhagalpur District of Bihar under BharatNet project.

(c) Department  of  Posts  (DoP)  has  undertaken  various  initiatives  for  modernization  of  Post Offices in Bhagalpur District of Bihar.

All Post Offices in the Region have been brought on Advanced Postal Technology (APT) platform, rolled out under Information Technology (IT) 2.0 Project, for end-to-end computerization and network connectivity. Core Banking Solution (CBS) has been implemented in all post offices to provide anywhere banking services to customers.

Digital services such as Net Banking, Automated teller machine (ATM), India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), e-Money Orders, Track & Trace, mobile-based services, etc. have been introduced across all post offices.

Mobile devices with Digital Rural Enterprise Application have been supplied to all Branch Post Offices in Bhagalpur District of Bihar for smooth functioning of postal services in rural areas.

(d) Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) expand 5G services in rural areas, based on the technocommercial  viability.  Government,  through  funding from Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN),  is implementing various schemes for expansion of 4G mobile connectivity in the uncovered rural and remote villages of the country.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5356 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: NavIC Satellite System
Ministry: SPACE
Asked by: Shri Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF SPACE

## LOK SABHA

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2026

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5356 NAVIC SATELLITE SYSTEM

## 5356.  SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

## Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the present status of the NavIC satellite constellation including  the  number  of  satellites  launched  and  currently operational;
- (b) the  coverage  range  and  service  capabilities  of  NavIC  for civilian  navigation,  aviation  safety,  maritime  operations  and disaster management;
- (c) the  steps  taken  to  integrate  NavIC  with  national  air  traffic management and other critical infrastructure systems;
- (d) whether in light of past strategic assessments such as by the Kargil  War  Review  Committee  emphasising  the  need  for indigenous navigation and surveillance capabilities, NavIC and associated  satellite  systems  have  been  operationalised  for defence-related  applications  such  as  secure  navigation  and real-time situational awareness and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  roadmap  for  further  strengthening  India's  autonomous satellite navigation architecture to enhance strategic preparedness and technological self-reliance?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):

****

- (a) Total  number  of  NavIC  satellites  launched  are  eleven;  out  of these eight satellites are functional. Three satellites are broadcasting navigation signals and five satellites are capable of broadcasting signals for one-way messaging.
- (b) & (c)

NavIC constellation is designed to provide Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services over India and a region extending up to 1500km from Indian land mass for various applications such as civilian navigation, maritime operations and disaster management. Discussions are ongoing with Airport Authority of India/Ministry of Civil Aviation on adoption of NavIC in air traffic management.  It  is  to  kindly  note  that  India's  space-based augmentation  system  GAGAN  is  operational  and  providing services  for  air  navigation.  Department  of  Space  (DoS)  is constantly  engaged  in  efforts  to  broaden  the  use  of  NavIC  in various critical infrastructures such as real-time train tracking, fishing  vessel  communication  and  support  system,  location system on public & commercial vehicles for passenger safety, and IST dissemination.

DoS  is  actively  working  for  operationalisation  of  NavIC  and associated  satellite  systems  for  providing  secure  navigation satellite navigation architecture includes completion of NavIC base layer constellation and suitable enhancement in services to meet the user  requirements,  and  induction  of  indigenous  technologies technological

(d) & (e) service. The roadmap for further strengthening including space-grade atomic clock for self-reliance

****