Pradhan Mantri Fast Track Project with the prescribed time-limit

Pradhan Mantri Fast Track Project with the prescribed time-limit

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 

MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

LOK SABHA 

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4129 

ANSWERED ON 18.03.2020

PRADHAN MANTRI FAST TRACK PROJECT

SHRI RODMAL NAGAR

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has formulated any scheme to complete the rail projects under the Pradhan Mantri Fast Track Project with the prescribed time-limit;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) if  not,  the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  complete  such important projects within the said time-limit?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY 

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4129 BY SHRI RODMAL NAGAR TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 18.03.2020 REGARDING PRADHAN MANTRI FAST TRACK PROJECT

(a) to (c)  Presently, 498 ongoing Railway Projects including 188 New Lines, 55 Gauge Conversion and 255 Doubling Projects of total length 49,069 Km, costing Rs. 6.75 lakh crore are in different stages of planning/sanction/execution.

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In addition, under the Umbrella Work of 2019-20, 05 New Line works of 432 Km length costing 6,419 crore and 32 Doubling works of Rs. 4,555 Km length costing Rs. 47,841 crore have been included in Budget booklet of Financial Year 2020-21.

The project-wise detail including cost, expenditure and outlay are available in public domain on      Indian Railways’ website i.e. www.indianrailways.gov.in >Ministry of Railways >Railway Board >About Indian Railways >Railway Board Directorates >Finance (Budget) >Pink Book (year) >Railway-wise Works Machinery & Rolling Stock Programme.

Though, every sanctioned project is very important for Nation, but to utilize the available resources in best possible manner to produce optimum social and financial gains to Nation, the projects are categorized as New Line National Projects, last mile connectivity projects, executable through put enhancement   Gauge   Conversion   projects   and   Super   Critical/Critical

/Doubling/3rd Line/Quadrupling projects etc. However, in Railways there is no scheme named Pradhan Mantri Fast Track Project with the prescribed time- limit.

Thorough review of throughput enhancement projects has been carried out and with focused approach, the projects have been prioritized into Super Critical Projects (58 nos), Critical Projects (68 nos.) and other throughput enhancement projects (130 nos.).

As on 01.04.2019, the balance length of Super Critical Projects is 2,347 Km and that of Critical projects is 5,676 Km. All out sincere and focused approach is being adopted by Railway for quick execution of these projects.

For the financial year 2020-21, Budget Outlay has been proposed to the projects which are in advance stage of completion, important new line National Projects, executable & Important Gauge Conversion projects and the projects which are important from the throughput enhancement considerations. Thus, the focused attention is given in fund  allotment, rather than thinly spreading the resources without fruitful results.

In the overall interest of the Nation and to ensure that, projects are completed in time without cost overrun, lot of monitoring is being done in Railways at various levels (field level, divisional level, zonal level and Board level) and regular meetings are held with the officials of State Government and concerned Authorities to resolve the pending issues that  are obstructing the progress of projects.

To ensure that projects are completed even before time, Railway has adopted the concept of incentives to the contractor in the form of bonus clause in contracts which will further enhance the pace of execution of projects.

For capacity enhancement projects, institutional financing has been arranged, which has increased Railways’ capacity for committed fund provision for capacity enhancement projects.

BUDGET ALLOCATION ON INDIAN RAILWAYS

Average Annual  Budget allotment for New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling  Projects  on  Indian  Railways,  during  2014-19  has  increased  to Rs. 26,026 crore, from Rs. 11,527 crore (during 2009-14), which is 126% more as compared to average allotment during 2009-14.

Total Budget Estimate (BE) Outlay for New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling Projects in 2019-20 was `30,198, which has been increased to Rs.38,803 in Revised Budget Outlay. This is 237% more as compared to average annual budget allotment during 2009-14. (Rs. 11,527) 

COMMISSIONING OF NEW LINE, GAUGE CONVERSION AND DOUBLING

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During 2009-14, 7599 km length (New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling) has been commissioned on Indian Railways. Further, during 2014-19, 13124 km length (New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling) has been commissioned on Indian Railways, which is 73% more than commissioning during 2009-14.

The completion of any Railway project depends on various factors like quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance by officials of forest department, shifting of infringing utilities (both underground and over ground), 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 due to  climatic conditions,  encountering unforeseen conditions like earthquake, flooding, excessive rains, strikes of labour, orders of Hon’ble Courts, situation and conditions of working agencies/contractors etc. and all these factors vary from project to project and site to site. Hence, no confirmed time frame can be fixed for completion of projects at this stage.

Source : http://164.100.24.220/loksabhaquestions/annex/173/AU4129.pdf

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