opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 1840 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Condition of MSME Sector
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: Shri Giridhari Yadav, Shri Ramprit Mandal, Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1840 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## CONDITION OF MSME SECTOR

1840.

SHRI GIRIDHARI YADAV: SHRI RAMPRIT MANDAL:

SHRI DINESH CHANDRA YADAV:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  conducting  any  detailed  survey  to assess the health of the MSME Sector;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  parameters  included  under  the  said survey; and
- (c) the  time  by  which  Government  is  likely  to  receive  complete report of the said survey alongwith the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS  AND  PROGRAMME  IMPLEMENTATION;  MINISTER  OF STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  OF  THE  MINISTRY  OF  PLANNING AND  MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  CULTURE  [RAO INDERJIT SINGH]

- (a) to (c): MoSPI  is  not  currently  conducting any  detailed  survey  to assess the health of the MSME Sector.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1838 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Bahraich-Shravasti-Balrampur-Utraula-Dumariyaganj-Khalilabad Railway Line
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Ram Shiromani Verma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1838 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## BAHRAICH-SHRAVASTI-BALRAMPUR-UTRAULA-DUMARIYAGANJKHALILABAD RAILWAY LINE

†1838.  SHRI RAM SHIROMANI VERMA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the current status of the construction work of the  proposed  new  railway  line  project  from  Bahraich  via Shravasti-Balrampur-Utraula-Dumariyaganj to Khalilabad passing through the aspirational district of Shravasti;
- (b) the time line by when the said construction work is likely to be commenced;
- (c) whether the  Government  has  set  any  targets  in  this  regard; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (d): Bahraich-Khalilabad via Shravasti, Balrampur, Utraula, Domariyaganj new line project (240 Km) has been sanctioned at a cost of  ₹4940  crore.  The  project  has  been  notified  as  'Special  Railway Project' for acquisition of land through State Government. Execution of  the  work  has  been  planned  in  3  phases  i.e.  Khalilabad  to  Bansi (54 Km), Bansi-Shravasti (113 Km)  and Shravasti to Bahraich (73 Km).

Major portion of land acquisition for Khalilabad to Bansi section has been  completed  and  accordingly,  work  has  been  taken  up.  An expenditure of ₹1067 crore has been incurred upto March 2025 and an outlay  of  ₹421  crore  has  been  provided  for  this  project  for  the  year 2025-26.

Completion  of  Railway  project/s  depends  on  various  factors  which include the following:

- Land acquisition
- Forest clearance
- 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 etc.

All these factors affect the completion time and cost of the project/s.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1836 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Small/Mini Hydel Projects
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Jitendra Kumar Dohare

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1836

ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## SMALL/MINI HYDEL PROJECTS

1836. SHRI. JITENDRA KUMAR DOHARE

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any survey regarding the potential for a small/mini hydroelectric project or power generation in the Pachnada area of Etawah district in Uttar Pradesh; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF  STATE  FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

(a) & (b) Yes, A Small Hydro Power Data Base for India was prepared in July 2016 by Alternate Hydro Energy Centre (Now Department of Hydro & Renewable Energy), Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee for Commissioned Projects, under construction projects, future sites in the States and UTs of the Country. As per the data base, the Pachnada area of Etawah District in Uttar Pradesh  does not appear in the list of the potential areas.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1835 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: DMF for Welfare of Mining-affected Areas
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Dr. Bachhav Shobha Dinesh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1835

ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## DMF FOR WELFARE OF MINING-AFFECTED AREAS

1835. DR. BACHHAV SHOBHA DINESH:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is implementing the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) to ensure the welfare of mining-affected areas especially in Maharahstra;
- (b) if so, the details thereof project and district-wise particularly for districts Dhule and Nashik project;
- (c) the details of funds allocated, sanctioned, disbursed and utilised, project-wise, particularly for Dhule and Nashik districts of Maharashtra;
- (d) whether the Government has taken any measures to make the foundation more effective; and
- (e)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons  therefor  along  with  the  steps being taken to address the issue?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a)  The  Mines  &  Minerals  (Development  &  Regulation)  2015  Amendment  Act mandates  establishment  of  District  Mineral  Foundation  (DMF)  in  mining-affected districts  for  the  benefit  of  persons  and  areas  affected  by  mining  operations  across the country including Maharashtra.
- (b)  and  (c)  The  district-wise  project  details  including  those  for  Dhule  and  Nashik districts of Maharashtra are available at https://mines.gov.in/webportal/content/statedmf .
- (d) and (e) The Government issued revised PMKKKY guidelines in January 2024 to make the DMFs more effective, transparent and accountable. The guidelines provide for clear demarcation of directly and indirectly affected areas, mandatory allocation of at least 70% of DMF funds in directly affected areas and high-priority sectors, etc. Further,  these  guidelines  also  mandate  for  creation  of  an  Endowment  Fund, restriction  on  fund  transfer  from  DMF  to  the  State  Exchequer  or  State  level  fund, establishment  of  a  State  Level  Monitoring  Committee  (SLMC)  and  audit  of  DMF accounts by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG).

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 1833 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Passenger Train Connecting Ballari Junction
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri E Tukaram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1833 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## PASSENGER TRAIN CONNECTING BALLARI JUNCTION

1833. SHRI E TUKARAM:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  long  pending  demand  for improving  passenger  train  connectivity  to  Ballari  Junction  and  if  so,  the details of the existing plans/proposals to strengthen rail connectivity for the region;
- (b)  the  details  of  the  requests  and  the  action  taken  on  demands  for  daily trains to Chennai-Ballari-Hospet-Mumbai and extension of the Mumbai-Gadag and Solapur-Gadag trains upto Ballari/Hospet; and
- (c)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  start  new  express  or  Vande  Bharat trains  on  the  Hospet-Ballari-Bengaluru  route  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof and the details of the roadmap to improve rail connectivity for Ballari district which  is  a  mining  hub  and  contributes  major  freight  revenue  to  Indian Railways and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (c) Introduction of new trains including Vande Bharat train services on any route/section depends on various factors which include:
- Capacity of that section
- Availability of path
- Availability of required rolling stock
- Availability of matching infrastructure for rolling stock
- Maintenance requirement of railway tracks and other assets

Accordingly, Ballari station is presently being served by 30 Mail/Express and 12 Passenger train services. These services are providing connectivity  inter  alia  to  cities  like  Chennai  (by  1  pair),  Hosapete  (by  16 pairs), Mumbai (by 3 pairs), Gadag (by 14 pairs) and Solapur (by 2 pairs).

Similarly, Hosapete - Ballari - Bengaluru sector is  served by 7 pairs of train services.

Proposals/  requests/  suggestions/  representations,  both  formal  and informal inter  alia  for  introduction/extension  of  trains  are  received  from Members of Parliament, elected representatives, organizations/rail users etc. at various levels including Railway Board, Zonal Railways, Divisional Office etc. As receipt of such proposals/ requests/ suggestions is a continuous and dynamic process, centralized compendium of such requests is not maintained. However, these are examined and action as found feasible and justified is taken from time to time, which is an ongoing process.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1832 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Digital Interconnection Mandate
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1832 ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## DIGITAL INTERCONNECTION MANDATE

## 1832.   SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has proposed mandating 'all-IP digital interconnection' between telecom service providers to improve telco-to-telco call quality;
- (b) if so, the details and rationale of this proposal; and
- (c) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  timely  adoption  of  digital interconnection by all operators?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  is  undertaking  a  comprehensive review of existing interconnection regulations to ensure that the regulatory framework takes into account evolution of technology and changes in the telecommunications sector.

Consultation paper on "Review of existing TRAI Regulations on Interconnection matters" has been released by TRAI on 10.11.2025. Comments on the issues raised in the consultation paper are invited from the stakeholders. Based on the outcome of the ongoing consultation process with the stakeholders, suitable decisions on the matters related to Interconnection regulations will be taken by TRAI.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1821 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Postal Services in Howrah, West Bengal
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Smt. Sajda Ahmed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1821 ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## POSTAL SERVICES IN HOWRAH, WEST BENGAL

## 1821. SMT. SAJDA AHMED:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps to improve and expand postal services in the district of Howrah, West Bengal during the last three years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, along with the proposal if any, to open new post offices or extend postal facilities in rural and semi-urban areas of the district;
- (c) the details of the post offices where financial services were introduced during the last three years in Howrah district; and
- (d) the details of the post offices that have closed operation in the district of Howrah during the last two years and the reason of the closure thereto?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) Yes, Sir. The Department of Posts has taken the following steps.
- i. Business hours of selected Post Offices (Howrah HO and Salkia HO) have been extended beyond standard business hours for the benefit of customers.
- ii. A Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra (DNK) has been established at Howrah HO for providing services and helping small businesses, artisans and MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) to export  their  products  by  providing  an  online  platform  for  documentation  and  customs clearance.
- iii. Mobile  parcel  van  facilities  have  been  introduced  in  the  district  for  door-step  booking facilities of postal articles.
- iv. A Delivery Centre has been created at Howrah HO to make delivery system more efficient in Howrah city area.
- v. More than 5000 small merchant QR (quick response) codes have been issued by IPPB (Indian Post Payments Bank) to small businessman/ shopkeepers to enable digital payments.
- vi. POS (Point of Sale) devices are installed in all Sub Post Offices and Head Offices in Howrah District to enable digital payment for postal transactions.
- vii. Aadhaar enrolment & updation services are being provided through selected Post offices both in  rural  and  urban  areas.  In  addition,  Mobile-Aadhaar  linking  and  child  (below  5  years) Aadhaar enrolment services have also been provided.

(c) Postal financial services are being provided through a network of 2 Head Post offices, 82 Sub-Offices and 250 Branch Offices throughout the district in addition to IPPB services.

(d) Ten (10) Non-Delivery Single handed Sub Post Offices located in urban areas were merged with nearby Post offices for not fulfilling distance and income norms. These Sub Post Offices are Pachal Bazar SO, Jagriti SO, Debendra Ganguly Road SO, Ross Road SO, Cowies Ghat Road SO, A Road Bamungachi SO, Howrah VC Mill SO, Goaberia SO, Andul Road SO and Abhoy Guha Road SO.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1820 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Introduction of The Atomic Energy Bill, 2025
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Dr. Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO -1820

ANSWERED ON 10/12/2025

## INTRODUCTION OF THE ATOMIC ENERGY BILL, 2025

## 1820.  DR. PRADEEP KUMAR PANIGRAHY

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government has proposed to introduce the Atomic Energy Bill, 2025 in the Winter Session aimed at allowing private sector participation in the civil nuclear sector and if so, the details thereof; and
- (b) the  details  of  specific  regulatory  safeguards  and  incentives  being  proposed  by  the Government to ensure accelerated achievement of the 100 GW nuclear capacity target by 2047 while mitigating risks to national security and environmental standards?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)&(b)   The Government is in the process of introducing the Atomic Energy Bill 2025.  The details about private participation are finalized and will be available soon.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1819 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: iGOT Mission Karmayogi Platform
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Shri Miteshbhai Rameshbhai Patel, Shri Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel

## MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1819

(ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025)

## iGOT MISSION KARMAYOGI PLATFORM

## †1819. SHRI MITESH PATEL BAKABHAI: SHRI HASMUKHBHAI SOMABHAI PATEL:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of next major goal set for the iGOT Karmayogi platform after reaching the target of one crore users;
- (b)  the  manner  in  which  the  Capacity  Building  Commission  is  ensuring  that  the  content  available  in iGOT is in consonance with the regional needs and languages; and
- (c)  whether  any  systematic  link  has  been  set  up  between  the  completion  of  iGOT  training  and promotion in civil services and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): The iGOT Karmayogi platform, established under the National Programme for Civil Services  Capacity  Building  -  Mission  Karmayogi  focusses  on  digital  learning  and  capacity building of Government employees. iGOT has continued to expand rapidly in scale and reach and presently in addition to Ministries/ Departments, most of the States and Union Territories have  also  been  onboarded  on  the  platform.  The  SPV  Karmayogi  Bharat  and  the  Capacity Building  Commission  (CBC)  have  entered  into  tripartite  MoUs  with  27  States/UTs  for systematic  implementation  of  Mission  Karmayogi.  As  on  date,  more  than  1.41  crore  users have been onboarded, and the platform hosts over 3,700 courses across domain, functional and behavioural competencies, with more than 6 crore course completions. Courses are available in 23 languages, including English and Hindi, enabling wide accessibility and alignment with regional and linguistic needs. Out of the 3700 courses available on iGOT, 735 are in Hindi, while 544 are offered in various regional languages.

The  next  phase  of  scaling  aims  at  deeper  integration  of  role-based  competency frameworks,  expansion  of  multilingual  content,  and  further  enhancement  of  role  specific capacity-building plans.

Through comprehensive onboarding of  States/UTs,  a  multilingual course ecosystem, and  close  coordination  with  both  central  and  state-level  institutions,  the  Government  is ensuring  that  high-quality  training  is  accessible  to  civil  servants  across  all  hierarchies  and geographical regions.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1815 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Installation of Bio-toilets in Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Arup Chakraborty

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1815

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## INSTALLATION OF BIO-TOILETS IN TRAINS

## 1815. SHRI ARUP CHAKRABORTY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has set any targets for the installation of bio-toilets in trains and if so, the details thereof and the progress made under such targets;
- (b) the details of the total number of trains run by Railways along with the number of trains fitted with bio-toilets; and
- (c) the details of the funds earmarked for fitting of bio-toilets in trains and the funds spent till date for the same?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (c):  To  eliminate  direct  discharge  of  human  waste  on  Railway tracks, installation of Bio-toilet in passenger coaches had been taken up in mission mode.

The details of installation of Bio-toilets, as on 30.11.2025, are as under:

| Period   | No. of Bio-Toilets fitted     |
|----------|-------------------------------|
| 2004-14  | 9,587 only                    |
| 2014-25  | 3,59,247 (More than 34 times) |

At  present,  all  the  passenger  carrying  mainline  coaches  equipped  with toilets are provisioned with bio-toilets.

The  cost  of  fitting  of  bio-toilets  in  new  coaches  is  covered  in  the manufacturing  cost  of  the  Coaches  sanctioned  under  Rolling  Stock Programme.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1814 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Extension of Rail Service from Sikar to Haridwar, Guwahati and Chennai
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Amra Ram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1814 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## EXTENSION OF RAIL SERVICE FROM SIKAR TO HARIDWAR, GUWAHATI AND CHENNAI

†1814. SHRI AMRA RAM:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  start  train  services  from  Sikar  to Haridwar, Guwahati and Chennai in view of the requirement of train services for  the  people  from  the  Shekhawati  region  serving  and  deployed  in  Armed Forces  and  Paramilitary  Forces  across  the  country  and  the  traders  for Rajasthan who are spread across the country in several States; and

(b) if so, the timeline by which the said project is likely to start and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  and  (b)  Presently,  Sikar  is  served  by  22  Mail/Express  and  12  Passenger train services. These are providing connectivity to various important destinations like Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Sainagar Shirdi, Prayagraj, Tirupati, Hyderabad, Firozpur, Rameswaram, etc.

Sikar  is  directly  connected  to  Chennai  by    20497/20498  Firozpur  Cantt.  Rameswaram  Humsafar  Express  while  17  pairs  of  trains  connect  Sikar  to Jaipur. Jaipur is connected to Haridwar by 03 pairs, to Guwahati by 02 pairs and to Chennai by 06 pairs of  regular train services.

Similarly,  Sikar  is  connected  to  Delhi  by  02  pairs  of  regular  train  services while Delhi is connected to Haridwar, Guwahati and Chennai by 18 pairs, 09 pairs and 10 pairs of regular train services respectively. Besides,  introduction  of  new  train  services,  which  is  an  on-going  process, depends on various factors which include· Capacity of that section · Availability of path · Availability of required rolling stock · Availability of matching infrastructure for rolling stock · Maintenance requirement of railway tracks and other assets *****