Lok Sabha Question No. 624 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-20
Subject: Clearances to Railway Projects
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.624 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2016

## CLEARANCES TO RAILWAY PROJECTS

624.  SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  railway  projects  stalled  due  to  lack  of  clearances from  the  department  of  environment/forest  along  with  the  amount stuck  therein  across  the  country,  as  on  date,  Zone/State/Union territory-wise;
- (b) whether  the  Railways  have  suffered  losses  on  account  of  being dormant  in  earning  revenue  from  such  projects  and  their  cost escalation over a period of time;
- (c) if so, the details thereof, project-wise and the reasons therefor along with the reaction of the Railways thereto;
- (d) whether  the  Railways  did  not  obtain  prior  clearances  from  the department of environment/forest for these projects; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

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

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 624 BY SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE AND SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 20.07.2016 REGARDING CLEARANCES TO RAILWAY PROJECTS

(a) to (c): Clearances from different land owning agencies, acquisition of land, shifting of  services/utilities  are  part  of  project  execution  and  these  activities  are  bound  to take some time.  However, following projects have suffered due to non availability of forest clearances.

|   S. No. | State                          | Railway            | Name of the Project                                                       |
|----------|--------------------------------|--------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Bihar                          | Eastern            | Doubling between Ratanpur-Jamalpur (Part of Munger Bridge approach track) |
|        2 | Jharkhand                      | East Central       | Tori- Shivpur-Kathautia New Line                                          |
|        3 | Bihar                          | East Central       | Sakri -Biraul-Kusheshwarsthan- Hasanpur Road New Line                     |
|        4 | Odisha                         | East Coast         | Angul-Sukhinda Road New Line                                              |
|        5 | Odisha                         | East Coast         | Byepass line bet. Sukhinda Road and Jajpur Keonjhar Road                  |
|        6 | Sikkim, West Bengal            | Northeast Frontier | Sivok-Rangpo New Line                                                     |
|        7 | Assam                          | Northeast Frontier | New Moynaguri-Jogighopa New Line                                          |
|        8 | Kerala                         | Southern           | Angamali - Sabarimala New Line                                            |
|        9 | Maharashtra                    | South Central      | Ratlam-Khandwa-Akola Gauge Conversion                                     |
|       10 | Chhattisgarh                   | South East Central | Gondia-Jabalpur Gauge Conversion                                          |
|       11 | Chhatisgarh                    | South East Central | Dallirajahara-Rowghat New Line                                            |
|       12 | Chhatisgarh                    | South East Central | Salka Road- Annupur Doubling                                              |
|       13 | Karnataka                      | South Western      | Hubli-Ankola New Line                                                     |
|       14 | Karnataka                      | South Western      | Bangalore- Satyamangalam New Line                                         |
|       15 | Madhya Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh | West Central       | Lalitpur-Singrauli New Line                                               |

Working  out  cost  escalation  or  revenue  loss  on  account  of  delay  in  forest clearance alone is not feasible to be worked out.

(d) & (e):   Railway being one of the most environment friendly means of transport does  not  require  environment  clearance  for  undertaking  projects.    Proposal  for diversion  of  forest  land  and  tree  cutting,  wherever  needed,  can  only  be  prepared only after detailed survey, pegging of alignment and preparation of land schedule.

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