opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 1900 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Expenditure on Maintenance of Electric and Diesel Locomotives
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Smt. Manju Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1900

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

## EXPENDITURE ON MAINTENANCE OF ELECTRIC AND DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES

## †1900. SMT. MANJU SHARMA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of amount spent annually by Railways on high speed diesel;
- (b) the details of the annual bill amount for the diesel based fuel used by Railways;
- (c)  the  details  of  the  amount  spent  annually  by  Indian  Railways  on  the maintenance of electric and diesel locomotives separately;
- (d) whether it is possible to develop and operate locomotives which can be run using ethanol or biodiesel; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (e). Electric traction is more environment friendly and energy efficient than  Diesel  traction.  Accordingly,  Electrification  of  railway  network  on Indian Railways has been taken up in mission mode. So far, 99.4% of Broad Gauge (BG) network has been electrified. The electrification in remaining network has been taken up. Electrification carried out during 2014-25 and before 2014 is as under:

| Period                       | Route Kilometre   |
|------------------------------|-------------------|
| Before 2014 (about 60 years) | 21,801            |
| 2014-25                      | 46,900            |

With electrification, there has been reduction in the consumption of diesel on Indian Railways. Indian Railways have been able to save 178 crore litre in Diesel consumption in the year 2024-25 with respect to 2016-17, which is a saving of 62%, thus reducing the import dependency of crude oil. Amount spent by Indian Railways on total energy consumption for traction during 2024-25 is ₹ 32,378 crores. Details  of  the  amount  spent  by  Indian  Railways  on  the  maintenance  of electric and diesel locomotives are available in Annual Statistical Statement  of  Indian  Railways  which  is  available  on  website  of  Indian Railways (https://indianrailways.gov.in). Railways is moving towards electric traction because of the environmental and cost considerations. While tests on bio-diesel have been done, electric traction is far more beneficial than bio-diesel.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1896 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Assessment, Performance and Strengthening of the UMEED Portal
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Balabhadra Majhi, Shri Kota Srinivasa Poojary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  1896

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

## ASSESSMENT, PERFORMANCE AND STRENGTHENING OF THE UMEED PORTAL

1896.  SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI: SHRI KOTA SRINIVASA POOJARY:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be please to State:-

- (a)  whether  an  assessment  has  been  carried  out  to  evaluate  the  impact  of  the  Unified  Waqf Management,  Empowerment,  Efficiency  and  Development  (UMEED)  Portal  on  improving transparency, efficiency and timeliness in the disbursement of scholarships and if so, the details thereof particularly in Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency of Odisha;
- (b) the Key Performance indicators (KPIs) used for conducting such assessment along with the indicators and findings used particularly for Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency;
- (c)  the  details  of  conclusions  emerged  from  the  assessment  with  regard  to  reduction  in processing time and pendency of cases particularly in the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency;
- (d)  whether  any  corrective  or  remedial  measures  have  been  undertaken  based  on  the  said findings; and
- (e)  if  so,  the  details  of  such  measures  and  the  manner  in  which  they  are  likely  to  be implemented in the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency of Odisha?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a):  A  statutory  portal,  namely  the  UMEED  Central  Portal -2025,  has  been  developed  in accordance with Section 3(ka) of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995, and was launched by the Ministry on 06.06.2025 for uploading details of existing waqf and the property dedicated to the waqf, which also automate entire lifecycle of waqf properties,  including  registration,  verification,  survey  by  the  Collector,  mutation,  annual account updates, audit, leasing and monitoring, ensuring transparency, efficiency and effective management  and  faster  grievance  redressal.  However,  the  said  portal  does  not  have  any provision for disbursement of scholarships.

(b) to (e): does not arise.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1895 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Jajpur Road-Dhamra-Biraja Kshetra Rail Link Project
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Rabindra Narayan Behera

§

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1895 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

## JAJPUR ROAD-DHAMRA-BIRAJA KSHETRA RAIL LINK PROJECT

## 1895. DR. RABINDRA NARAYAN BEHERA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

the  details  of  the  current  status  of  Jajpur  Road  and  Dhamra-Biraja Kshetra  rail  link  project  including  the  date  of  final  cabinet  approval along with the proposed timeline for its completion?

## ANSWER

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

The Survey for the Jajpur-Dhamra new line (101 km) has been completed and the DPR has been prepared.

After preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR), sanctioning of project requires consultation with various stake-holders including State Governments  and  necessary  approvals  viz.  appraisal  of  NITI  Aayog, Ministry  of  Finance  etc.  As  sanctioning  of  projects  is  a  continuous  and dynamic process, exact timelines cannot be fixed.

Further, Sanction of any railway project depends upon many parameters/factors which include the following:

- Anticipated traffic projections and Remunerativeness of the proposed route
- •
- First and last mile connectivity provided by the project
- •
- Connection of missing links and providing additional route
- Augmentation of congested/saturated lines
- Demands  raised  by  State  Governments/Central  Ministries/  Public representatives, · Railway's own operational requirements · Socio-economic considerations · Overall availability of funds.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1891 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: PLI Scheme for Telecom
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Narayan Tatu Rane

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1891 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## PLI SCHEME FOR TELECOM

## †1891. SHRI NARAYAN TATU RANE:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the PLI scheme for telecom and networking products launched in the country especially in Maharashtra;
- (b) whether  the  PLI  scheme  for  telecom  and  networking  products  has  created  employment opportunities in Maharashtra especially in Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha Constituency;
- (c) if so, the details of direct and indirect employment opportunities generated as a result thereof;
- (d) whether the Central Government is considering to extend PLI support for fibre optic cable and 5G component manufacturing in Maharashtra and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The  PLI  Scheme  for  Telecom  and  Networking  Products  was  launched  in  April  2021  to strengthen domestic manufacturing of telecom equipment with a total outlay of Rs. 12,195 Cr. Under the scheme, 42 companies have been approved as beneficiaries. As on 30.11.2025, PLI beneficiary companies have collectively invested Rs 4,789 crores, generating sales worth Rs 1,01,109 crores including exports of Rs 21,033 Cr. Under this scheme, four companies have manufacturing and R&D facilities in Maharashtra which have reported an investment of Rs 541 Cr and sales of Rs 21,375 Cr.
- (b) & (c) The  scheme  has  generated  a  total  of  29,446  employments  including  2,515  in Maharashtra. No PLI Company has a unit in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg Lok Sabha Constituency.
- (d) & (e) No such proposal is under consideration as sufficient capacity for fibre optic cable already exists and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has launched the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) in April 2025 to promote domestic manufacturing of electronic components including 5G components. Further, tenure of PLI Scheme for Telecom and Networking Products is upto FY 2026-27 only.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1888 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Satellite-based Services in India
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Baijayant Panda

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1888 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## SATELLITE-BASED SERVICES IN INDIA

## 1888.   SHRI BAIJAYANT PANDA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether  the  Government  has  prepared  any  roadmap  or  set  specific  targets  for  offering enhanced satellite-based communication services across the country;

- (b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to ensure that satellite-based communication services remain affordable and help reduce the digital divide particularly in rural and remote areas?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) As  per  the  'Decadal  Vision  and  Strategy  for  Indian  Space  Economy'  of  Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the estimated market potential of the Satellite Communication segment is USD 14.8 Bn by 2033.

Department of Telecommunications' Satellite Communication Reforms-2022 have facilitated the ease-of-doing business, streamlined a number of processes and rationalized various charges. The recent Space Sector reforms enable larger participation of non-government entities for building/leasing, owning and operating the satellite systems for providing satellite-based services. Many operators have applied for authorization for providing satellite communication over India.

Satellite-based communication services can provide connectivity in rural, remote, underserved and unserved areas, which are otherwise difficult to be covered through terrestrial media such as optical fiber, microwave, etc. This will support in bridging the digital divide and promoting access to digital services.

Further, it is envisaged that with more licensees for providing satellite-based communication services, enhanced competition in this segment will lead to affordable services.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1887 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Tower Commissioning  in Naxal-affected Belt of Jamui
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Arun Bharti

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1887 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## TOWER COMMISSIONING IN NAXAL-AFFECTED BELT OF JAMUI

## 1887.   SHRI ARUN BHARTI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has approved/sanctioned 4G towers for the shadow zones in Chakai and Sono blocks of Jamui district during FY 2025-26 under the USOF 4G Saturation Project and if so, village-wise status and timeline;

(b) the physical and financial progress of tower commissioning in the Naxal-affected belts of Jamui as on 1  January, 2026;

(c) whether funds have been released and utilised by BSNL for infrastructure upgrades in Jamui during FY 2025-26 and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether shortfall has been identified in fiber backhaul connectivity to these remote towers and if so, the remedial timeline; and

(e) whether new approvals have been proposed for 5G testing sites in Jamui town in FY 202627 and and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) Government through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) has undertaken several projects to provide 4G  mobile  services to the uncovered villages across the country, including the villages/locations in Jamui district of Bihar.

Under  the DBN  funded  mobile  projects, after physical survey undertaken by the implementing agencies, out of 94 villages/locations planned, 89 villages/locations have been covered with 4G mobile services in the Jamui district as on 31.12.2025. The list is available on DBN website ( https://usof.gov.in/en/home )

Further, as on 01.01.2026, a total amount of Rs. 514.74 crore has been utilized under the DBN mobile projects in Bihar, including Rs. 21.48 crore during financial year 2025-26. Rs. 19.38 crore was utilized by BSNL from DBN funds in Bihar during financial year 2025-26.

(d) No shortfall has been reported by implementing agencies in backhaul connectivity to the towers commissioned under DBN projects in Jamui district.

(e) 5G mobile services are rolled out by the telecom service providers on their respective technocommercial consideration.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1886 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Utilisation of Treated Coal Mine Water
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shri Basavaraj Bommai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1886 ANSWERED ON- 11.02.2026

## UTILISATION OF TREATED  COAL MINE WATER

## 1886.   SHRI BASAVARAJ BOMMAI:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) the policies and guidelines in place to ensure the sustainable and safe utilization of treated coal mine water for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes;
- (b) the quality control measures being adopted to ensure that treated coal mine water supplied for drinking purposes meets the necessary health and safety standards;
- (c) whether any national-level frameworks are being developed to expand mine water management initiatives across all mining States; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a). The Ministry of Coal, through its Coal and Lignite Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), namely Coal  India  Limited  (CIL),  NLC  India  Limited  (NLCIL),  and  Singareni  Collieries  Company Limited (SCCL), has been promoting the utilization of treated mine water for drinking, irrigation, and  industrial  purposes  in  alignment  with  relevant  environmental  and  water  conservation guidelines. The quality of treated mine water for gainful utilization is guided by the provisions of the  Environmental  Protection Act,  1986,  the Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution) Act, 1974, and directives issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and respective State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs). Additionally, Coal/Lignite PSUs have formulated their own standard operating procedures to ensure the safe and effective utilization of treated mine water for various purposes.
- (b). To ensure that the treated mine water supplied for drinking purposes meets health and safety standards, various quality control measures are undertaken, including treated mine water is tested periodically by accredited laboratories as per the parameters prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards  (BIS  IS  10500:2012),  Central  Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  and  any  other applicable  standards.  Adequate  treatment  processes  such  as  sedimentation,  filtration,  and disinfection are applied before supply.
- (c) & (d). Continuous efforts are made to expand mine water management initiatives across all coal and lignite mining states. Coal/Lignite PSUs have undertaken projects for gainful utilization of surplus mine water for domestic, irrigation and industrial purposes.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1885 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Research Institutes in the Mayiladuthurai
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Km. Sudha R

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1885 ANSWERED ON 11/02/2026

## RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN THE MAYILADUTHURAI

1885. KM. SUDHA R:

Will  the  Minister  of  SCIENCE  AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to include the Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha Constituency in its network of research institutes under the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC) given its scientifically strategic location and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether there is any proposal to study the root-cause of the annual extreme weather events like floods and cyclones in the Cauvery Delta districts, particularly in Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha Constituency and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether any research station has been established or planned in the  Mayiladuthurai  Lok  Sabha  Constituency  which  has  marine  and agricultural importance to the Southern Peninsula and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has established the State Climate Change Cell (SCCC) in Tamil Nadu under the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge on Climate Change (NMSKCC), which aims to assist the State in undertaking vulnerability and risk assessments, public awareness and capacity-building programmes. The Tamil  Nadu  SCCC  is  connected  with  the  Mayiladudurai  Lok  Sabha Constituency and analysing agricultural datasets for different crop yield projections under SSP2-4.5 scenarios.

- (b) DST's Center of Excellence at Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU),  Coimbatore,  is  conducting  research  to  analyse  extreme weather events for the current and future periods (up to 2100) across Tamil Nadu, including the Cauvery Delta Districts, which encompasses the Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha Constituency.
- (c) As  of  now,  the  Department  has  not  established  any  research station in the Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha Constituency. However, a few research  stations viz.,  Tamil  Nadu  Rice  Research  Institute  (TRRI), Aduthurai, MSSRF-Fish for All Research and Training Centre, Poompuhar, and Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture, Sattanathapuram are present in the Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha Constituency.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1883 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: New Media Wing
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Shri Chavda Vinod Lakhamshi, Shri Mahendra Singh Solanky, Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Shri Alok Sharma, Shri Chandan Chauhan, Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh, Shri Saumitra Khan, Shri Praveen Patel, Shri Vijay Baghel, Shri Jugal Kishore, Shri Yogender Chandolia, Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan, Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Shri Dineshbhai Makwana, Shri Tejasvi Surya, Shri Chandra Prakash Joshi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1883 (H) (TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026)

## New Media Wing

1883:   Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan

Shri Saumitra Khan

Shri Tejasvi Surya

Shri Vijay Baghel

Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh

Shri Mahendra Singh Solanky

Shri Dineshbhai Makwana

Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal

Shri Chavda Vinod Lakhamshi

Shri Yogender Chandolia

Shri Jugal Kishore

Shri Chandan Chauhan

Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal

Shri Alok Sharma

Shri Chandra Prakash Joshi

Shri Manoj Tiwari

Shri Praveen Patel

Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab

Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a). whether the New Media Wing (NMW) is intended to strengthen engagement with digital platforms and online content creators;
- (b). if  so,  the  nature  of  coordination  envisaged  with  social  media  platforms  and  digital intermediaries;
- (c). whether the wing will focus on dissemination of information in regional languages like Bengali,  particularly  in  Dewas-Shahjahanpur  Lok  Sabha  Constituency  of  Madhya Pradesh; and
- (d). if so, the measures undertaken in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (DR. L. MURUGAN)

- (a) to (d): The  New  Media Wing  (NMW)  functions as an information-serving and disseminating  unit  for  the  Ministry  of  Information  &  Broadcasting.  It  has  been established for dissemination of Government's Initiative/policies through Ministry  of  Information  and  Broadcasting's  various  Social  Media  handles  on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.

NMW  integrates the Government's profile across different social media platforms. It undertakes tasks relating to integrating communications across social platforms, constructing messages so as to suit socio-economic, cultural, linguistic diversity. NMW seeks to enable the Government's presence and provide a direct interface  with  the  citizens  who  use  the  medium  of  social  media  in  all  major regional languages including Bengali and in all regions including  DevasShahjahanpur Loksabha Constituency of Madhya Pradesh.

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