C.S.II. - 141

RAJYA SABHA COMMITTEE ON PETITIONS

HUNDRED AND FORTY FIRST REPORT

ON

PETITION PRAYING FOR DEVELOPMENT OF RAILWAY NETWORKS IN , HIMACHAL PRADESH AND OTHER HIMALAYAN STATES

(Presented on 19th December, 2011)

RAJYA SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW December, 2011

Website:http://parliamentofindia.nic.in E-mail:[email protected]

CONTENTS

PAGES

1. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ...... (i)

2. INTRODUCTION ...... (iii)-(iv)

3. REPORT ...... 1-37

4. APPENDICES I Petition praying for development of Railway networks in 39-45 Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan States ...... II Views/Comments of the Ministry of Railways dated 46-53 10th May, 2010 on the petition ...... III Communication dated 12th October, 2011 received from 54-60 Ministry of Railways showing updated status of railway projects mentioned in the petition...... IV Views/Comments of the Ministry of Defence dated 6th 61-64 April, 2011 on the petition ...... V Views/Comments of the Ministry of Finance dated 4th 65-80 April, 2011 on the petition ...... VI Minutes of the meetings of the Committee ...... 81-104

5. ANNEXURE A. List of Twelve ‘National Projects’...... 107 B. Study report of the Committee visit to ...... 109-124 C. Name of strategically important railway lines from 125 defence point of view ...... D. Study report of the Committee visit to Srinagar ...... 127-134

COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (2010-11)

1. Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari –– Chairman

MEMBERS 2. Shri Ram Vilas Paswan 3. Shri Nandi Yellaiah *4. Shri Rajeev Shukla 5. Shri Avinash Pande 6. Shri Balavant alias Bal Apte **7. Shri P. Rajeeve 8. Shri Veer Pal Singh Yadav 9. Shri Paul Manoj Pandian 10. Shri Rajaram

SECRETARIAT 1. Shri Deepak Goyal, Joint Secretary 2. Shri Rakesh Naithani, Joint Director 3. Shri Ashok K. Sahoo, Deputy Director 4. Shri Goutam Kumar, Assistant Director

INTRODUCTION

I, the Chairman of the Committee on Petitions, having been authorised by the Committee to submit the Report on its behalf, do hereby present this Hundred and Forty first Report of the Committee on the petition signed by Shri Kedar Singh Fonia, MLA, Uttarakhand and six others, all resident of Uttarakhand praying for development of railway network in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan States.

2. The petition was admitted by Hon’ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha on 10th November, 2010 under the provisions of Chapter X of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States. In accordance with Rule 145 ibid, the petition was reported to the Council on 15th November, 2010 by Secretary-General after which it stood referred to the Committee on Petitions for examination and report, in terms of Rule 150 ibid.

3. The Committee issued a Press communiqué inviting suggestions from interested individuals/organizations on the subject matter of the petition. In response thereto, more than hundred memoranda were received by the Secretariat. The Secretariat scrutinised those memoranda and a gist thereof has been suitably incorporated in the Report.

4. The Committee heard the petitioner and others on the petition in its sitting held on 29th November, 2010. The Committee heard the Chairman, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, Defence Secretary, Finance Secretary and Member Secretary of Planning Commission of on 22nd December, 2010, 8th April and 4th May, 2011, respectively, on the issues connected with the petition.

4.1 The Committee undertook study visits to Mumbai and Goa from 20th to 25th January, 2011 to interact with MD, Konkan Railway and to see some of the projects in the Konkan Railway Network and to access the possibility of replication of technology used in Konkan Railway in the development of railway projects in Himalayan States. The Committee also visited Srinagar from 24th to 27th April, 2011 to see some of the projects in the State of Jammu & Kashmir and to interact with the MD, IRCON alongwith the representatives of the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) on the petition. 5. The Chairman and Members of the Committee also informally apprised the Prime Minister about the necessity of declaring railway projects in Himalayan States as ‘National Projects’ and completing the same in the time bound manner in the interaction on 10th August, 2011.

6. The Committee once again heard the Chairman, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways on 18th October, 2011. It considered the draft Report in its sitting held on 16th December, 2011 and adopted the same.

7. The Committee while formulating its observations/recommendations, has relied on the written comments of the concerned Ministries, oral evidence of witnesses-official as well as non-official, feedback received in response to the Press Release, observations of the Members of the Committee and interaction with others.

8. For facility of reference and convenience, the observations and recommendations of the Committee have been printed in bold letters in the Report.

NEW DELHI; BHAGAT SINGH KOSHYARI 16th December, 2011 Chairman, Agrahayana 25, 1933 (Saka) Committee on Petitions.

REPORT

A petition dated 18th February, 2010 addressed to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) jointly signed by Shri Kedar Singh Fonia, MLA, Uttarakhand, Shri Chandan Ram Das, MLA, Shri Khajan Das, MLA, Shri Gopal Singh Rawat, MLA, Shri Laxman Singh Patwal, Shri Vijay Bahuguna, MP, and Shri K.C. Singh Baba, MP, Lok Sabha praying for development of railway networks in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan States bordering China was received in the Secretariat (Appendix-I). As per established procedure, the petition was referred to the concerned Ministry i.e. Ministry of Railways for their comments. The comments received from the Ministry were scrutinized by the Secretariat in the light of the issues raised by the petitioners and placed before Hon’ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha to enable him to decide the admissibility of the petition. Hon’ble Chairman admitted the petition on 9th November, 2010. The petition was presented to the Rajya Sabha on 15th November, 2010 after which it stood referred to the Committee for examination and report.

1.1 The petitioners in their petition contended that the Himalayan States are the guardians of the country’s northern border and contribute largely to conservation of its environment. They stressed the need to strengthen the security network in the Western Himalayas by laying down railway networks in the bordering States of Himalayan region. Such a rail network would not only benefit the States through which it passes in terms of economy and tourism but would facilitate fast movement of men and material in times of natural calamity and meet defense needs. The petition stresses upon the following issues:

Transportation needs in Himalayan States

1.2 The Himalayan States present a dismal picture in terms of transportation networks. This region has the lowest road and railway density in the country. The mode of transport and communication are not developed to the desired level resulting in lack of economic and industrial development of this region. Inadequate road and rail links have left many areas inaccessible and their great potential in forest products, cash crops, hydropower, animal husbandry and tourism remain unexploited. Railways being the principal mode of transport in the country can act as catalyst for socio-economic development of this region. Although difficult terrain, severe climatic conditions and sparse population are often cited as reasons for the apparent lack of interest in constructing roads and railway network, short sighted government policies have also equally contributed to the poor development of infrastructure in the region.

Position of Railway network

1.3 The British left behind a railway track lane of 55,596 km, in 62 years since independence the total railway track stands at 63,940 km. This work around to be an addition of 130km in a year which is very pathetic. The situation in Himalayan States is even worse as not even a single kilometre of rail track has been added there since independence. Almost all the network existing in this region is a legacy of the British period. The major initiatives of since independence are the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line in Jammu and Kashmir and railway line connecting Sevoke in to in , which are to be completed in near future.

Development of railroad network by China on Indian border

1.4 China has completed its 3,900-km Beijing-Lhasa rail link and is pushing ahead with seven other railroad projects adjoining the Indian border. China proposes to build 5,000 km. of rail links, with emphasis on establishing connectivity in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. China has also proposed to build a rail network in . Besides this, China is said to be considering an extension of the Golmu-Lhasa line up to Xigaze, south of Lhasa and from there to Yatung, a trading centre, barely a few kilometres from , a mountain pass that connects with Sikkim. There is a proposal too to extend the line to Nyingchi, an important trading town north of Arunachal Pradesh, at the trijunction with Myanmar. These rail lines will bring Chinese trains up to Sikkim and Arunchal Pradesh – two Indian States that figure prominently on the radar of Sino-Indian disputes.

Need for Indian initiatives for development of railway network

1.5 Economists and security experts have been warning that Indian Government is napping while China is set to extend its railway network upto the Sino-Indian border. India’s rail network is the world’s most extensive but it does not penetrate the border-States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Although the feasibility of some rail links is being studies, some projects have been sanctioned and others are being executed by Indian Railway, their completion targets may prove fickle, keeping in view the status of the State of Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur. Trains were supposed to be running in the Kashmir Valley by last August, but that now looks unlikely to happen for another five years at least. Indian Railways’ officials blame difficult mountainous terrain for the delay in projects. About 120 kilometre of the 292 kilometre Kashmir railway line consists of tunnels; delaying matters further, several are reported to have collapsed during construction.

Local demands for railway lines

1.6 Social organizations, MPs, MLAs and State Governments of these States have since long been raising the issue of discrimination and step-motherly treatment in terms of expansion of railway network by successive Governments in this region. Some specific demands from different States are as under:-

(a) Himachal Pradesh (i) Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri; (ii) Ghanauli-Baddi; (iii) Nangal-Talwara; and (iv) Bilaspur-Manali-Leh.

(b) Uttarakhand (i) -Karanprayag; (ii) -Ghat-; (iii) -Kalsi; (iv) Ram Nagar-Chaukhutiya; (v) --Ramnagar-Kathgodam; and (vi) Rishikesh-Dehradun.

(c) Arunachal Pradesh (i) Hirumati-Itanagar; and (ii) Rupai-Parasuramkund.

(d) Jammu and Kashmir Jammu-Rajauri-Poonch.

(e) Sikkim (i) Mirik-; and (ii) Extention of Sevoke-Rangpu line upto Gangtok

1.7 Unless there is an expansion of Railway network and Himalayan States are linked with better rail infrastructure, the industrialization and economic development cannot take place to the desired level. It is, therefore, prayed that the Ministry of Railways should declare projects for development of railway network in Himalayan States as National Projects and initiate work on above mentioned railway lines on priority.

Response of Ministry of Railways on the petition

2. The Ministry of Railways responded to the issues raised in the petition vide their communication dated 10th May, 2010 (Appendix-II). The Ministry of Railway submitted that since independence about 11,000 km. of new rail lines have been constructed. However, Railways have also strengthened the existing network by laying additional lines on the congested corridors to increase the carrying capacity. Gauge conversion has also been done in a big way since 1992 and 16,917 km. of Meter Gauge/Narrow Gauge lines have been converted to Broad Gauge. The track structure on all the routes has been upgraded and track renewals have been done from time to time. All these efforts have increased the carrying capacity on the railway network.

2.1 The Ministry further stated that a number of projects have been taken up all over the country. The details of ongoing new line, gauge conversion and doubling projects as on 1.4.2010 are as under:

Plan Head No. of Projects Throw forward as on

1.4.2010

( in crore)

New Line 122 59,875

Gauge Conversion 45 17,261 Doubling 160 21,545

Total 327 98,681

The majority of new lines projects have been taken up for providing connectivity to various backward, under developed, hilly and other far flung areas to bring such areas into main stream. However, the projects are facing severe financial constraints resulting into very long gestation periods. Efforts have been made to generate additional resources through participation by the Beneficiaries/State Governments, additionality for National Projects and also taking up some projects through Limited.

2.2 As regards the line in the Jammu and Kashmir, it was stated that the line from Jammu to Udhampur and from Quazigund to Baramulla has already been commissioned. There has been certain geo-techinical difficulties faced in Udhampur-Quazigund section as the alignment is passing through very difficult Himalayan terrain. Necessary steps have been taken and it is expected that Udhampur-Katra line will get completed by December, 2011 and Katra- Quazigund by 2017-18.

2.3 The status of specific demands as mentioned in the petition was provided by the Ministry of Railways as under:

(a) HIMACHAL PRADESH

(i) Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri new line work

The work of new line Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri is already sanctioned. Final Location Survey (FLS) for the project has been completed and part detailed estimate for the first 20 km. of the project section (Bhanupalli-Dharot) has already been sanctioned. Contract for earthwork and minor bridges for the first 3 km. has been awarded and MoU signed with Geological Survey of India (GSI) for geological investigation. Land acquisition for the project is also under process. An outlay of 41 crore has been provided for the work in Railway Budget 2010-11.

(ii) Ghanauli-Baddi new line work The work of -Baddi was included in Budget 2007-08. State Governments of Punjab and U.T. of Chandigarh expressed inability to provide land for the project in the U.T. area. Himachal Pradesh Government then requested for examining the alternate alignment connecting Baddi to Ghanauli. The survey has been completed and the survey report is presently under examination in the Ministry. As per the said survey report, the cost of construction of this 26 km. long line has been assessed as 541 crore with a Rate of Return of (-) 3.44 per cent. Further decision on the project will be taken based on the examination of the survey report.

(iii) Nangal Dam-Talwara new line

The railway track of 33 km. stretch from Nangal Dam to Churaru Takrala has already been completed and opened to traffic. The work on Churaru Takarala-Amb Andura (11.6 km.) has also been completed and the mandatory safety clearance for the section is awaited. The next phase of the project is being planned from Amb Andura to Kartoli Punjab (20 km.). In view of the huge escalation in the cost of the project, State Government of Himachal Pradesh was approached with proposals of cost sharing for the remaining work. The State Government has shown inability to fund the project. The cost of this project is 730 crore. Expenditure upto March, 2010 is 269 crore and an amount of 50 crore has been provided for the work in Railway Budget 2010-11.

(iv) Bilaspur-Mandi-Manali-Leh new line

The survey for construction of Bilaspur-Mandi-Manali-Leh new Broad Gauge (BG) line has been completed. As per the said survey report, the cost of construction of this 498 km. long line has been assessed at 22,831 crore with Rate of Return of (-) 4.42 per cent. The survey report is presently under examination in the Ministry. This is one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon’ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Necessary action is being taken accordingly.

(b) UTTARAKHAND

(i) Rishikesh-Karanprayag new line The work of new line from Rishikesh of Karanprayag (125 km.) has been included in Railway Budget 2010-11 at an anticipated cost of 4295.30 crore. The funding for this project will be done by the Ministry of Finance.

(ii) Tanakpur-Bageshwar new line

Survey for construction of Tanakpur-Bageshwar new BG line (155 km.) has been proposed in Railway Budget 2010-11. Further action will be taken once the survey report is received.

(iii) Dehradun-Kalsi new line

This is one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon’ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Survey for the above new line has been completed in Jan., 2010. Two alignments have considered in the survey report. As per the first alignment, the cost of construction of 43 km. long line has been assessed as 557 crore with a Rate of Return of (-) 3.0 per cent. As per the second alignment, the cost of construction of 47 km. long line has been assessed as 676 crore with a Rate of Return of (-) 4.08 per cent. The Survey report is presently under examination in the Ministry.

(iv) Ramnagar-Chaukhutiya new line

Survey for construction of Ramnagar-Chaukhutiya new BG line (86 km.) has been proposed in Railway Budget 2010-11. This is one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon’ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Earlier Survey was completed in 1994-95. As per the said survey report, the cost of construction of this 87 km. long line was assessed as 400 crore with a negative Rate of Return. The project was not taken up.

(v) Haridwar-Kotdwar-Ramnagar-Kathgodam new line

This is one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon’ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Updating survey for the above new line will be taken up and further necessary action will be taken thereafter.

(vi) Rishikesh-Dehradun new line

Rishikesh- new line is one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon’ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Updating survey for the above new line will be taken up and further necessary action will be taken thereafter.

(c) ARUNACHAL PRADESH

(i) Harmuti to Itanagar

Work is in progress in Harmuti-Naharlagun section (22 km.). An amount of 28.98 crore has been paid to District Commissioner Papumpara, Arunachal Pradesh towards compensation for land. The land in Arunachal Pradesh has been handed over but is pending in Assam. Eleven minor bridges and sub structure of three major bridges have been completed. Final location survey from Naharlagun to Itanagar has been completed. A reference was made to State Government to give their views regarding termination of line at Naharlagun. State Government has agreed to terminate the line at Naharlagun.

(ii) Rupai to Parsuramkhund

No survey has so far been done for new line between Pasighat and Rupai. However, a survey for construction of a new broad guage line between Rupai to Parsuramkund via Mahadevpur, Namsai and Chaingkham (97.80 km.) has been completed and the report is under examination. The cost of construction of this line has been assessed as 1036.94 crore with a negative Rate of Return of (-) 6.45 per cent.

(d) JAMMU AND KASHMIR

(i) Jammu-Poonch new line

This is also one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon’ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Updating survey for the above new line has be completed in 2008-09. As per the said survey report, the cost of construction of this 223 km. long line has been assessed as 10459 crore with a Rate of Return of (-) 4.24 per cent. As mentioned in the Hon’ble Minister’s Budget Speech, the survey report will be sent to Planning Commission after suitable updation.

(e) SIKKIM

(i) Mirik-Gangtok line

A survey for construction of a new line from Mirik to Gangtok has recently been completed. As per the survey, the cost of construction of this 163.45 km. long line has been assessed as 11684.29 crore. The survey report is under examination.

(ii) Expediting the Sivok-Rangpo-Gangtok National Project

Sivok-Rangpo railway line is a National Project. Final location survey has been taken up. The work has been entrusted to M/s IRCON for execution. Target of completion is 2015-16. The survey for Rangpo-Gangtok railway line has been completed recently and proposal is under process for seeking necessary approval.

3.4 The Ministry has further stated that as per extant rules, only projects important from strategic view point in J and K and NE region or developmental projects which result in greater integration of these regions with the rest of India, can be categorized as National Projects. Accordingly, projects in these regions have been declared as ‘National Projects’ (A list of Twelve ‘National Projects’ is at Annexure-A).

Petitioner’s oral submissions (29.11.2010)

4. As per the well established procedure, the Committee heard the petitioners to elicit their viewpoint on the petition. On 29th November, 2010, Shri Kedar Singh Fonia, MLA, Uttarakhand, Shri Ram Mohan Aggarwal, Shri L.S. Patwal appeared before the Committee and presented their views. The petitioners pointed out the inadequate railway network in the hilly States and pointed out that no development has taken place in this area since pre-independence era. The petitioners contended that there were no roads and no railway lines in the interiors of the Himalayas whereas in another four to five years China is going to bring its railway network to the Himalayan Borders which is just 27 kms. from their villages. The petitioners pointed out that the villagers still have to walk around 25 to 30 kms. to reach nearest road networks. Similar situations exist in Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The petitioners also pointed that that the terrain was very difficult and hence it was not easy to build railway lines. According to him, the best solution would be to go by the river beds.

4.1 The petitioner also pointed out that he is already 80 plus in age and it is his wishful thinking that there should be a railway line in his lifetime. Shri L.S. Patwal pointed out that even after 63 years of country’s independence and 10 years of formation of State of Uttarakhand, there is no development in the village. There is no tourism due to lack of proper transport facilities. He also pointed out that the Ram Nagar to Chaukhutiya and Rishikesh to Karanprayag railway lines were proposed by the Britishers. However, till date no development has taken place. He also pointed out that in the absence of proper infrastructure, people are not able to go there. He suggested that success of Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro could be replicated in the hills if there was adequate political will.

4.2 Shri Ravi Mohan Aggarwal pointed out that the issue of railway network in the Himalayan States concerned the Defence Ministry, External Affairs Ministry and Railway Ministry. He stressed upon the need for national security. He also stressed upon the sensitive nature of the Arunachal Pradesh and need to connect by a Railway line so that the State is connected to the national mainstream.

Press Communiqué and response of the stakeholders

5. A press communiqué was issued by the Committee for inviting views/suggestions of the various stakeholders. The press communiqué appeared in different newspapers in English, and other vernacular languages throughout the country during the month of November, 2010. In response, the Committee received a large number of memoranda from all across the country with overwhelming majority of them pointing out the inadequate railway infrastructure in the hilly States and the move for development of railway network in the Himalayan States. The views expressed by the stakeholders are summarized as under:- (i) A large number of representations insisted on the security aspect with the main intent to safeguard the border areas;

(ii) Need to develop the infrastructure in border areas so as to promote both trade and tourism;

(iii) Enhancement in our ability to move our armed forces and defence equipment to the border areas so as the 1962 war kind of an experience is not repeated;

(iv) Fast movement of people from one corner of the State to another;

(v) Faster movements of flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbal plants to reach , Ramnagar and Rishikesh Mandi in the shortest time to give better financial gain to the farmers;

(vi) Several requests were received for various other railway lines viz. Kathgodam to Bhawali, from Bhawali to Ramgarh, Mukteshwar and Champavat;

(vii) Requests were received for railway lines from to , from Ranikhet to Bageshwar, from Begeshwar to Chaukhutiya;

(viii) Similar requests were received for projects in Sikkim, Arunchal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh;

(ix) Need for railway network so that raw material could be transported from the hilly States on economical basis which include fruits, herbal plants and handicrafts;

(x) Requests were also received for converting the single line stretch on Delhi-Dehradun railway line to a double line so that the additional time taken from Haridwar to Dehradun could be saved;

(xi) Requests were received to declare the pending projects as National Projects;

(xii) Several representations were received seeking stoppage of and at Doiwala railway station so that critically ill patients could be taken to the nearby Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences which happens to be one of the best medical facilities in Uttarakhand;

(xiii) Requests were also received to upgrade the station facilities at Doiwala;

(xiv) Requests were also received to bring all railway lines in the State of Uttarakhand under one zone i.e. Northern Railway so as to facilitate better coordination and service;

(xv) Requests were received to start a train facility from Kathgodam to Western part of India specifically Mumbai/Gujarat;

(xvi) Requests were also received from direct connectivity between Muzaffarnagar and /Hardwar (via Luxar) instead of the present alignment through Deoband, Saharanpur and Tapri. This will make the Delhi-Dehradun route much shorter; and

(xvii) Anand Vihar-Kathgodam AC special (Train No. 14011/14012) may be started on daily basis.

Deposition of Chairman, Railway Board (Ministry of Railways) (22.12.2010)

6. The Committee recorded the oral evidence of the Chairman, Railway Board and other representatives of Ministry of Railways on 22nd December, 2010. The Member (Engineering) briefed the Committee about each of the project beginning with Bhanupalli - Bilaspur - Beri Railway Project stating that the project would cost around 3000 crores and final location survey of the project has been completed. He informed the Committee that the major hindrance they were facing was the fund sharing arrangement in which the Himachal Pradesh Government was to bear 25 per cent of the cost and whenever funds are released by the State Government work on the Railway line would be expeditiously done. He also informed that preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey of the Ghanauli-Baddi has been done and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) was minus 3.5 per cent. The Railway Board is examining the proposal and accordingly necessary action will be taken.

6.1 The next project he mentioned in Himachal Pradesh was Nangal-Talwara line which was sanctioned in 1990 with a total length of 84 km. of which 33 km. have been completed and work on the remaining is underway. He informed the Committee that the land acquisition cost has increased tremendously, but in case the Himachal Pradesh Government agreed to bear the balance 50 per cent cost, work on the project could be expedited. The fourth project in Himachal Pradesh was the Bilaspur-Manali-Leh railway line for which survey has been done. The total estimated cost of the project was 22,803 crores with a negative rate of return minus 4.5 per cent. He apprised the Committee that it would be difficult for the Railways to undertake such a high cost project and it could be taken only if it was declared as a national project and funds allocated from the general exchequer.

6.2 In context of State of Uttarakhand, he stated that the Rishikesh-Karanprayag Railway line was of 125 kms. and the total expenditure i.e. likely to be incurred was 4,300 crores. He mentioned that the final location survey is underway and work would be undertaken when the survey is completed. The second project was of Tanakpur-Ghat-Bageshwar with a total distance of 230 km. The cost of the project is to be updated along with the traffic projection. Railways would be able to complete the updating survey by the end of this year and necessary discussion would be done on the project after the updating survey.

6.3 He further apprised the Committee that on the Dehradun-Kalsi Railway line which was of 47 km., the survey has already been done. The cost of the railway line would be 676 crores with a positive rate of return of 4 per cent. He apprised the Committee that a final decision on this is yet to be taken. The other project was Ram Nagar-Chaukhutiya for which the cost was approximately 400 crores. However, in view of the negative rate of returns, a decision has been taken not to do the project for the present. The other project was Haridwar-Kotdwar- Ramnagar-Kathgodam for which survey had been sanctioned. Survey was also underway for the Rishikesh-Dehradun project and once the survey report is obtained, a final decision on the project would be taken.

6.4 In the context of Arunachal Pradesh, the Member (Engineering) said that work are underway on the Hirumati-Itanagar project and almost 60 per cent of it had been completed. The other project i.e. Rupai-Parasuramkund had been included in the survey this year. The project would be considered after the survey is completed. The most project i.e. the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch project was a very capital intensive and updating survey was underway on the same. A final decision will be taken after the survey is completed. In Sikkim, the Mirik-Gangtok project survey had been done but it had negative rate of return of 10 per cent with its cost being over 12000 crores. The project was under examination but it would be difficult for Railways to complete such an expensive project. The issue of extending Sevoke-Rangpu line upto Gangtok had been taken up. The project would cost 4,853 crores with a negative rate of return of 12 per cent. The project has already been sanctioned and has been sent for in principle approval of the Planning Commission. It would be feasible for them to complete the project in case the Finance Ministry gave them the necessary funding for this project.

6.5 The Chairman, Railway Board agreed with the views of the petitioners that arterial network of Railways needs to be developed for development of that area. He stated that since independence, more than 50 per cent of the railway system was not on broad gauge and the Railways took a substantial amount of time and resources to convert the narrow gauge into broad gauge. He stated that in India we have best of engineers and the examples are in the form of railway lines in Konkan Railway and Jammu and Kashmir. The tunnel work that has been done in this area is one of the most difficult in the entire world. The Britishers had termed the Konkan Railway as impossible. However, Indian Railways have managed to build the Konkan Railway line. The Chairman, Railway Board stressed upon the fact that after the Sixth Pay Commission, the Railways have been left with very little fund to work on the expansion programme. The entire Railway reserves have been exhausted due to the Sixth Pay Commission and in the absence of financial resources, it is almost impossible for Railways to undertake projects. He requested the Committee to make a provision of a special fund of 5000 to 8000 crores which should be given to Railways for such projects on a regular basis and he assured that Railways would make sure that the railway lines mentioned in the petition are built in the minimum time possible. The Member (Engineering) mentioned that they have only 4000 crores in the budget for the year 2010-11 for development of new railway lines and practically then were no funds for development of rail network in hilly areas.

Study visit of the Committee to Konkan Railway

7. After the evidence of the petitioners and the Railway Ministry, the Committee decided to visit Mumbai and Goa to interact with the representatives of Konkan Railway and to see some of the projects in the Konkan Railway network and to access the manner in which the technology was used in the Konkan Railways so that it could be replicated in the Himalayan States. A detailed study report is at Annexure-B.

Deposition of Defence Secretary and Finance Secretary (8.4.2011)

8. The Secretary, Ministry of Defence in his deposition before the Committee stated that as far as the Defence Ministry is concerned, they would always be in favour of good infrastructure as this would facilitate the movement of troops to the border areas, which would facilitate the movement of weapons, rations and other things needed for providing logistical support to the troops. He also stated that if the troops are to be moved from the Eastern Sector to the Western Sector, the railway infrastructure would be of paramount importance. He further stated that the Defence Ministry has done an assessment of the 15 railway lines mentioned in the petition and concluded that six of these were strategically important from the national security perspective. He requested the Vice Chief of the Armed Forces to elaborate upon the strategic railway lines.

8.1 The Vice Chief of Army Staff stated that infrastructure development, particularly opposite the China Border is extremely critical to the Armed Forces. He further mentioned that this infrastructure would be needed for every State that borders China. He mentioned that the capability of Army is two-fold – one is in terms of combat power which means our weapon system, our men and our fighting machine and the other was infrastructure. He stressed upon the need to give the Armed Forces the cutting edge and cutting teeth to make sure that the improvements made by China which have been exponential in the last 10 years must be made in combat ratios. He mentioned that there were two options – one is to spend on modernization of weapons and second being infrastructural development. In context of railway lines, he mentioned that the Armed Forces have anaylsed in depth the requirements and projections for the strategic railway lines. However, he added that the Defence Ministry did not have funds to pay for any of these strategic road or strategic railway lines. He mentioned that all the available funds are being spent on modernization. They had no funds to accommodate these railway lines. The representatives of Armed Forces mentioned that 14 railway lines were strategically important. These railway lines have been categorized and three different priorities were given to them (Annexure-C). 8.2 He mentioned that in Himachal Pradesh the strategic lines as far as defence is concerned is the Pathankot-Leh line and for this, survey had been ordered by Ministry of Railways. In case of Uttarakhand, he mentioned that there were three railway lines which were of strategic importance the first one being the Rishikesh- Karanprayag line, the second one being Tanakpur-Ghat-Bageshwar line and third was from Dehradun to Uttarakashi. He mentioned that Dehradun-Kalsi and Haridwar-Kotdwar-Ramnagar-Kathgodam or Haridwar-Ram Nagar-Chaukhutiya in the inter-land were not essentially required by the Armed Forces. In case of Arunachal Pradesh, he mentioned that railway line being looked as a strategic railway line from the defence perspective was the line coming from Parasuramkund to Rupai that means connecting the Northern lines to the Southern lines of Brahamputra. He mentioned that as far as this railway line was concerned, Murkongselek to Pasighat had already been approved and a survey had been ordered from Pasighat to Brahamkund. The extension of this line from Brahamkund to Rupai will be done subsequently. In case of Jammu and Kashmir the representatives of the Armed Forces mentioned that the line from Jammu to Poonch was strategic railway line for which survey had already been done and this railway line was of utmost priority from the defence point of view.

8.3 Coming to Sikkim, he informed the Committee that -Rangpo railway line was being developed as a national project and as far as Mirik-Gangtok Railway line is concerned, it was not required by the defence forces. The Defence Secretary assured that their focus on defence preparedness was absolute. However, from a wider perspective like tourism, etc. some of these railway lines were very important. He further stated that the progress made by the China was phenomenal and there was every effort on part of Armed Forces to ensure that Confidence Building Measures were taken so that border areas remained peaceful and tranquil. He also mentioned that it was easier for China to build railway line on border areas as it has got the Tibetan Plateau which by its very nature was flat. He also mentioned that tremendous effort was going on the road side infrastructure and two divisions of Armed Forces were specifically being raised and air landing grounds were being upgraded in Arunachal Pradesh. He also mentioned that under rules of business, the railways are entrusted with the responsibility of building the Railways. 8.4 The Finance Secretary mentioned that till date twelve projects have been taken as national projects (Annexure-A) and around 10,000 crores have been spent on them. The Ministry assumes that to complete these 12 national projects, additional requirements of 26,000 crores would be needed. The Secretary mentioned that it is a fact that China was developing its road and railway infrastructure at a very fast pace and that there was a Committee under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary which decided which roads have to be treated as strategic road and whatever roads have been classified by the Defence Ministry as strategic roads or by the Home Ministry they were taken on priority basis. In this context, 10,000 kms. of roads have been taken on priority basis in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, North East and several other States. The Finance Secretary further mentioned that it is up to the Railway Ministry and the Defence Ministry to see which of the railway lines are of strategic importance and need to be completed on priority basis. She added that incidentally the Twelfth Plan is likely to be released soon and it would be better to include these projects in the Twelfth Plan. It would then be up to the Planning Commission to ensure that funds were made available for these projects be it in the name of national projects or by any other name and the Plan could be of Five Year Plan or a Ten Year Plan as the topography was very difficult. China has an advantage in this context that the terrain on their side was comparatively a flat terrain. However, on the Indian side it is a hilly terrain and it is difficult to make tunnels and roads on the Indian side. However she added that it was a question of priority.

8.5 Finance Secretary added that once the priorities are made and the strategically importance railway lines are identified which are then included by the Planning Commission, then a gross budgetary support could be ensured. She added that it was a decision that had to be taken by the Planning Commission. As far as the Finance Ministry is concerned, they make provision for the total gross budgetary support like for the Eleventh Five Year Plan out of the total 16 lakh crores, the Railway got a gross budgetary support of around 14,000 crores which was then increased to roughly 54,000 crores. She added that it was to be decided by the Planning Commission so that an integrated Plan could be made and budgetary support could accordingly be provided. The Finance Secretary stated that in case the Defence Ministry states that these are the railway lines needed for strategic reasons, then the Railway should clearly state and stress that these railway lines were needed for strategic reasons. As per certain process which is known to be Ministry of Railways proposal for strategic lines are prepared. She further added that as far as Finance Ministry is concerned, it had never been a roadblock and in case of things which are needed on priority basis the Cabinet Committee on Security decides and then the issue is taken by the Railways.

Study visit of the Committee to Srinagar

9. The Committee thereafter visited Srinagar to see some of the projects in the State of Jammu and Kashmir and to interact with the representatives of Ministry of Railways to see how advance technology has been used in Jammu and Kashmir so that it could be replicated in the development of Railway projects in Himalayan States. A detailed study report is at Annexure-D.

Deposition of the Member Secretary, Planning Commission (4.5.2011)

10. The Member Secretary, Planning Commission appeared before the Committee on 4th May, 2011. The Member Secretary stated that there is a special arrangement for the North Eastern States wherein a non-lapsable pool of resources have been made which is spent on infrastructure. However, in case of other Himalayan States, in case the Committee so recommends and the Finance Secretary agrees that financial resources were not going to be a problem then a special provision can be made. She stated that the Planning Commission make every effort to ensure that gross budgetary support is provided. However, there were certain railway lines which were not considered financially viable still the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs generally gave approval. She stated that the requirements of different States are so many that this method cannot be adopted in this case as it would be a time consuming process. In case of Himalayan States, the matter needs to be taken on priority basis and a specific decision had to be taken so that funds could be allotted and railways could take work immediately. The Member Secretary stated that she would be apprising the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission about the thrust of the Committee. She also added that in case of gross budgetary support to railways, the Planning Commission did not specify the railway lines but there was a specific Committee for different States which recommended the specific railway lines. The Member Secretary, Planning Commission also stated that the suggestions given by the Committee would be taken with the Finance Ministry on priority basis and with the Ministry of Railways and decision in this regard would be taken as soon as possible.

10.1 The Chairman and the Members of the Committee met Prime Minister on 10th August, 2011 and apprised him of the request contained in the petition in the light of the Committee deliberations with different Ministries/Departments so far. The Chairman and Members of the Committee requested him to declare the strategically identified projects as National Projects. The Chairman of the Committee also wrote to the Chairman, Planning Commission on 8th July, 2011 requesting him to take up the strategically important railway projects as identified by Ministry of Defence and incorporate the same in the Twelfth Five Year Plan. These projects may be declared as National Projects so that they get a dedicated financial backup.

10.2 In response, the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India has informed the Chairman, Committee on Petitions that following four projects have been identified as strategically important railway line projects from defence point of view. i. Rupai-Parasuramkund ii. Rishikesh-Karanprayag-Chamoli iii. Tanakpur-Bageshwar iv. Jammu-Akhnoor-Poonch

10.3 He has further informed that the Planning Commission has requested Ministry of Railways to submit the requirement of funds, technical inputs, time schedule for completion of these strategically important railway projects to Planning Commission in order to facilitate taking the matter forward in terms of finding sources of funding and other modalities for these projects.

Second appearance of Chairman, Railway Board before the Committee (18.10.2011)

11. Based on the inputs received during examination of the petition, the Committee heard the Chairman, Railway Board once again. The Chairman, Railway Board apprised the Committee about the latest status of the projects likely to be taken in the Himalayan States. The Member (Engineering) apprised the Committee about the Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri line and stated that this project has been sanctioned. The cost of the project has increased from 1047 crores in 2008 to 2964 crores at present. He also stated that the land cost has increased tremendously from 70 crores to 500 crores. He also informed that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had stated that the land acquisition cost would be borne by the State Government besides 25 per cent of the cost would be given by Ministry of Railways and 50 per cent by Ministry of Finance. The State Government informed that there was a meeting held in the Prime Minister Office in 2007 and it was decided that only 25 per cent of the cost would be borne by the State Government. He stated that the financial conditions of Railways are not good and they are not in the position to share the portions of cost of the State Government. He also stated that the Railway Minister has written a letter to the Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh to release 25 per cent of the cost and also to provide land for the project. The Member (Engineering) also informed that the State Government of Himachal Pradesh has agreed to give 25 per cent of the original cost and not 25 per cent of the present completion cost. He further requested that the State Government should acquire land and give 25 per cent of the present cost so that the project can be initiated. The next two projects of Himachal Pradesh mentioned by the Member (Engineering) were Ghanauli-Baddi Project, which is 26 km. and at a cost of 541 crores. He stated that the project was earlier approved from Chandigarh-Baddi but the State Government said that it would be difficult to find land in Baddi and hence an alternative route may be suggested. The second scheme proposed was the Kalka-Baddi route which is a 20 km. line with a cost of 385 crores and survey has already been done by the Ministry in this regard. However, the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Defence has now considered this project as a strategic project and it has a negative rate of return and so taking it up would be difficult.

11.1 The next project, he mentioned was of the Nangal-Talwara Project which was approved in 1981-82 and work only started in 1990-91 as 44 km. work having been done the cost has increased tremendously as the land cost has increased heavily in Punjab. The State Government had been requested to intervene and provide funds for the remaining portion. The third railway line he mentioned was of Bilaspur-Manali-Leh which is a 500 km. railway line with a total cost of 22,800 crores and this would be a very expensive railway line with a negative rate of return of minus 5 per cent. Defence Ministry has also not considered this project as strategic and the Planning Commission has considered it as unviable project and asked Ministry of Railways to arrange fund for it. In case of Uttarakhand, the Member (Engineering) informed that the next railway line is of Rishikesh - Karanprayag railway line for which work has been handed over to RBLL which is organization meant for fast track execution and for which work shall begin next year i.e. around June, 2012. He apprised the Committee that the funding for this project is given by Ministry of Finance. He apprised that the railway line is at present till Karanprayag only and a survey from Karanprayag to Chamauli is being done. The Member (Engineering) apprised that the final location survey would be done for the Rishikesh - Karanprayag line and papers would be submitted for land acquisition in the next three months and immediately after land acquisition, work would start. He further apprised the Committee that Tanakpur-Ghat-Bageshwar railway line which is a 155 km. railway line with a total cost of 2800 crores and a negative IRR. However, Ministry of Defence has classified this railway line as strategically important and the railways would be taking up the matter with the Planning Commission on priority basis.

11.2 The Member (Engineering) apprised that the survey of Rupai - Parasuramkund railway line has been completed and the requirement of funds, technical inputs and time schedule for completion shall be submitted within a month. He also apprised that the survey for the Jammu - Rajauri - Poonch railway line has been completed and necessary input would be sent within a month and the detailed survey along with schedule time targets would be send till May-June, 2012 for the Karanprayag-Chamauli railway line. He also apprised that the report on Tanakpur - Bageshwar railway line is also be sent within a month. He informed that the work on Hirumati - Itanagar Project would be completed by this year. The project is being completed at Naharlagun as per the request of the State Government. Work on Sevoke railway line has also been initiated and work has been allocated to IRCON.

Deliberations of the Committee

12.0 The Committee noted that there has not been any addition to the existing railway lines in the Himalayan States after independence. The Britishers could take the railway line to Darjeeling and Shimla but during the last 63 years the Government has not been able to add any railway track to the existing line in the Himalayan region. Some progress has been made in Jammu & Kashmir only. In other Himalayan States additional railway network are still in the planning stage. The Committee noted that it was a long cherished desire of the people in the hilly areas that they should be connected by Railway network. Not withstanding the role of the Ministry of Railways as the nodal ministry, the Committee appreciates the effort made by the Planning Commission, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence in addressing the issue of development of railway network in the Himalayan states in context of this Petition. The Committee acknowledges the significant initiative of the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India who has been instrumental in ensuring that the following four projects have been identified as strategically important railway line projects from the defence point of view: i. Rupai - Parasuramkund ii. Rishikesh - Karanprayag - Chamoli iii. Tanakpur - Bageshwar iv. Jammu - Akhnoor –Poonch

The Committee considers this as a significant step forward and appreciates the coordinated effort of the concerned Ministries. The Committee is optimistic that this coordinated governmental effort would ensure that these four railway lines are completed within the next five years.

12.1 The Committee is, however, constrained to note that the feasibility of even the strategically important railway lines was being measured in terms the commercial viability and rate of return on investments made. As far as the issue of negative rate of return is concerned, the Committee observes that once railway lines are constructed there would be no negative rate of return at least in case of some of the projects like the Rishikesh - Karanprayag and the Tanakpur - Bageshwar, Tanakpur-Jaujilbi Projects as goods and traffic would then be facilitated on a commercial scale between India and Nepal from this border area.

12.2 The Committee observed that if railways could come with a concrete plan and adequate will power could be mustered then it is definitely feasible to lay these railway lines. The Committee also felt that in case of strategically important railway lines of the Himalayan States, it would be very difficult for the States to provide for their share of funds for these railway lines and in case of projects where the State Government is required to pool in resources, the projects will definitely get delayed. The work gets struck time and again as the State Governments are not able to provide the necessary funds. It was also observed that the Railways need to look at these railway lines beyond business terms as they are very important not only from the angle of security but also facilitate the people of the region. The Committee felt that China has built up a tremendous railway networks on the borders and can easily move its troops within a short time in stark contrast to the situation in India. The Committee was also of the view that railways would help in integrating the country and the important railway lines should be taken up as National Projects. The Committee noted that the extension of railway line to Jammu and Kashmir was done with the main motive of integrating Jammu & Kashmir with the country. The Committee observed that the Britishers had built 53000 km. of railway line and we have been able to add only 10,000 km. in all these years. It was, however, an achievement on part of Railways to convert almost all of the railway lines from narrow gauge to broad gauge. The Committee felt that budgetary constraints cannot be an excuse and provision for funds in small quantums at different stages may also be made so that at least some works could commence. The Committee also felt that in case the country needs to be developed, we need to take the railway network in every nook and corner of the country. The Committee referred to be adage “Where there is a will there is railway; where there is no will, there is survey”.

12.3 The Committee, however, appreciated the constraints of the Railway Board in view of its fiscal health and felt that some ways need to be found to finance the projects. The Committee feels that under no circumstances the defence needs of the country can be compromised. The Committee held the view that in border areas the development of Railways would help from the economic, tourism, trade and commerce point of view. The Committee felt that during the 1962 war India had to cut a sorry figure because of inadequate infrastructure in the border areas. The Committee observes that it’s a matter of great concern that China has almost encircled India on the border areas through the railway and road network. The Committee observes that there has been a complete lackadaisical approach in developing the railway and road infrastructure in the Himalayan States. The Committee observed that the issue is of great significance in view of the fact that China has grown exponentially in both the economic field and the defence areas and the Government needs to be extremely cautious on both these counts. The Committee stressed that all the railway lines mentioned in the petition need to be given priority in phases.

12.4 On the issue of the Karanprayag railway line, the Committee is of the opinion that the railway line needs to be extended to Chamauli. Similarly, the Tanakpur- Bageshwar railway line which has been classified as second priority railway line even though keeping in view the proximity of the Nepal and Chinese border, it should have been kept as a first priority railway line and should be extended to Jaujilbi. Similarly, the railway line in Sikkim also needs to be classified as strategically important railway line. The Committee appreciated the fact that Defence Ministry had considered the Arunachal Pradesh railway line up to Parasuramkund from Rupai as a strategically important railway line. The Committee was of the opinion that Planning Commission also need to be apprised on this so that these projects can be taken on priority basis. In this context, the Committee took note of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGYS) initiated by the former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Committee felt that it was a matter of pride that resources have never been a constraint for this centrally sponsored scheme. A similar mechanism for railways could be worked upon. A methodology like imposing some sort of cess could be considered as has been done on petrol and diesel which funds the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

12.5 The Committee was of the opinion that the Defence Ministry has to play critical and pro-active role in ensuring that the issue is taken up in the right manner and the strategically important railway lines do not suffer from resource constraints even though a special provision may be needed on this. The Committee appreciated the presentation of the Defence Ministry and stressed that the first requirement was defence, second was the social need, third was tourism and fourth was the ripple down effect of the better infrastructure. The Committee felt concerned about the situation in Arunachal Pradesh, viz. the Chinese progress to bring railway line to almost Indian borders and India’s need to counter this by building its infrastructure. The Committee was also of the opinion that the stand taken by railways regarding feasibility and viability cannot be at the cost of national security and viability, feasibility and commercial aspects should be secondary while considering these strategic railway lines. The Committee was also concerned that Defence Ministry has not brought this matter to the notice of railways and the Finance Ministry till date and even though despite the stand of the Defence Ministry that we are having positive engagement with China, the country needs to be alert as there was much more engagement during the days of the slogan ‘Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai’ and we should not forget the ‘Historical blunders’. The Committee noted that even USA was concerned about the Chinese intention and it can be a miscalculation on part of India to not remain concerned. No amount of sacrifice was big enough where the defence and security of the country are involved. The Committee stressed upon the need to build a special corpus for the railway lines and was of the opinion that the initiative should come from the Defence Ministry and the Defence Ministry should, on immediate priority, bring it to the attention of the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister. The Committee was of the opinion that if railway line could be brought by China in Tibet and in Lhasa, there is no reason that India cannot initiate the similar efforts on its borders. The Committee during its visit to Konkan Railway saw in the first hand that our Indian Engineers were capable of bringing world class railway line at much lesser cost in extremely difficult terrain. The Committee also felt that instead of concentrating on all the railway lines, it would be important that only those railway lines which are strategically important should be taken up on priority basis in the first phase.

12.6 The Committee is also constrained to note that in several areas long delays take place due to delay in land acquisition and hence some modalities need to be worked out so that project execution time period could be reduced. A scrutiny of the projects under execution by the Committee clearly reveals that delay in land acquisition is the major factor behind the vast cost escalation of projects and in majority of the cases this escalation makes the entire project unfeasible.

12.7 The Committee records that the problem of resource allocation could be addressed in the manner that instead of asking for one time allocation if it is done in a phase-wise manner then budgetary allocation could be done. The Committee is of the view that all the Himalayan States are special category States with very limited revenue sources and it is almost impossible for the State Governments to share the cost of the projects. The Committee took up the issue of funding by the State Government, on the issue of land acquisition and the cost escalation resulting in delays in implementing the project. The Committee also found that in case of projects where 25% of the cost is borne by the State Government, 25% by the Railways and 50% by the Finance Ministry there have been delays as the State Governments have not been very forthcoming with the required financial resources. Hence, the only way out would be to take these projects as National Projects.

12.8 The Committee was also distressed to note that since 1996 under the Backward Area Development Scheme hardly any progress has been made and no money has been sanctioned for the backward areas. Another viable option which was considered by the Committee was that instead of funding the whole project initially a certain amount i.e. 10%, 20% or 25% of the project cost may be given and project may be initiated and completed in phases. However, the Planning Commission had to provide budgetary support to the railways to complete such project. The Committee also wanted to know from the Planning Commission whether they had made any field assessment or undertaken any consultation with the railways or the State Governments so that some sort of a initiative and a special allocation could be made keeping in view the public interest. The Committee wanted to know if some sort of a priority allotment could be made for the strategically important railway lines or some fund like PMGSY could be created so that some sort of a corpus could be created and this corpus could finance these railway lines even if they made losses. The Committee also wanted to know what provisions could be made under the Twelfth Plan. The Committee also referred to the Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojana under which a fund would be created to implement the socially desirable projects during the Twelfth Plan. The Committee also wanted to know whether some mechanism needs to be worked without putting any financial implication on the State Government and the Planning Commission should take up the matter immediately.

12.9 The Committee appreciated the fact that railway lines in the State of Jammu and Kashmir have been classified as national project and was of the opinion that a separate pool of resources may be made for the Himalayan States also. The Committee was of the opinion that with the help of Planning Commission and Finance Ministry, this work should not be difficult. The Committee was of the opinion that several countries have used the latest technologies to build railways in almost impossible topographic conditions viz. the undersea railway line which links Paris with London. The Committee short-listed six railway lines out of the fifteen railway lines (Annexure C) as originally demanded in the petition as per the classification of the Defence Ministry and stressed upon the need to provide financial resources for these railway lines. The Committee was of the opinion that the railway line in Sikkim should also be taken as strategically important, besides, the other railway lines mentioned by the Ministry of Defence.

12.10 The Chairman and Members of the Committee met the Prime Minister and apprised him about the necessity of declaring the strategically important railway projects in Himalayan States as National Projects. In the course of its meeting they referred to the four Projects i.e. Rupai-Parasuramkund, Rishikesh- Karanprayag - Chamauli; Tanakpur - Bageshwar and Jammu – Akhnoor- Punj which had been finally listed as strategically important project as per the communication received from the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.

12.11 The Committee felt that out of the 15 railway lines even if these 4 strategically important railway lines are taken in the first phase for time bound execution, it would be a tremendous achievement. The Committee also wanted to know that even though finance has been arranged for the Rishikesh - Karanprayag railway lines, it was of paramount importance that necessary resource allocation for the Tanakpur - Ghat - Bageshwar, Rupai - Parasuramkund and Jammu - Rajauri - Poonch railway line be made by the Planning Commission. The Committee also felt that the seriousness shown by the Ministry of Finance and Planning Commission has helped in making the remarkable progress in taking up these projects as strategically important project. The Committee also felt that timely execution of the projects is of utmost importance as delays would result in tremendous cost escalation.

Observations/ Recommendations of the Committee

13. Notwithstanding the role of the Ministry of Railways as the nodal ministry, the Committee appreciates the effort made by the Planning Commission, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence which have been instrumental in addressing the issue of development of railway network in the Himalayan States. The Committee acknowledges the significant initiative of the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India who has informed the Chairman, Committee on Petitions that following four projects have been identified as strategically important railway line projects from the defence point of view: (i) Rupai - Parasuramkund (ii) Rishikesh - Karanprayag (iii) Tanakpur - Bageshwar (iv) Jammu - Akhnoor -Poonch

13.1 The Committee expresses its gratitude for the initiative taken by the Government for initiating the exercise to implement the finally listed four strategically important projects. The Committee hopes that the Prime Minister Office would coordinate the effort to build these strategically important railway lines so that they are implemented within the next five years. The Committee strongly recommends that the other strategically important railway lines as prioritised by the Ministry of Defence may also be taken up in the subsequent phases. The Committee recommends that the Ministry of Railways may submit a report in terms of the four above mentioned railway lines on quarterly basis till the completion of these projects so as the Committee is apprised of the status of these projects.

13.2 The Committee takes note of the recent developments regarding the Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line which was inaugurated, recently. The Committee appreciates the fact that the process of construction of Rishikesh- Karanprayag railway line has been initiated as this is a very important strategic railway line. However, the Committee is of the opinion that this railway line should be extended up to Chamoli. Similarly the Tanakpur – Bageshwar railway line needs to be extended to Jaujilbi. The Committee recommends that the construction work of Rishikesh - Karanprayag project and the Tanakpur - Bageshwar-Jaujibli Project may be initiated at the earliest, and the Ministry of Railways must take up the matter with the Ministry of Finance on urgent basis, so that the projects do not get delayed. The Committee strongly recommends for enhanced coordination between the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance so that these projects are executed in proper time- frame without any cost escalation.

13.3 The Committee expressed concern over the role of the Defence Ministry in the past in taking up the matter in the right earnest for execution of strategically important railway line. The Committee taking note of the situation on the Chinese side of the border and has deliberated at great length on the pros and cons of the developments initiated by China in the border areas. The Committee appreciates the stress placed by Ministry of Defence on defence preparedness. However, the Committee strongly recommends the Defence Ministry should be actively involved in atleast bringing the urgency of the strategically important railway lines to the notice of the Planning Commission, Ministry of Finance and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on a regular basis so that our infrastructure does not lag behind in our total defence preparedness. The Committee strongly recommends that commercial aspects should be treated as secondary when it comes to the question of national security. The Committee urges upon the Government to draw up a time bound plan of action to execute and implement the strategically important projects in coordination with the concerned Ministries of the Central Government, State Government and other stake holders in a time bound manner.

13.4 The Committee is dismayed to note that the prolonged land acquisition process is responsible in many of the cases for the huge escalation in the cost of any particular project. The Committee recommends that the approach adopted by the Konkan Railway, which managed to resolve land acquisition issues expeditiously must be taken including provision of welfare means for land oustees.

13.5 The Committee feels that the issue of negative rate of return i.e. negative Internal Rate of Return (IRR) should not be the sole criteria for determining the need for construction of a railway line. A holistic approach needs to be adopted and strategically important lines should be taken up on priority basis. The Committee is distressed to note that even the strategically important projects have been delayed due to financial constraints with the Ministry of Railways. The Committee is of the opinion that the fiscal health of the State Governments specifically in the case of Himalayan States does not permit them to make financial provisions for the railway lines, causing delays. The Committee strongly recommends that the Government should create a separate pool of resources in terms of a separate corpus fund instead of seeking funds from the State Governments. This should be a non-lapsable plan fund to be utilized for strategically important railway lines. The Committee deliberated at length on the issue of funding by the State Government and the resultant cost escalation due to delays in allocation of resources by the State Government. The Committee feels that the only way out is to declare these projects as ‘National Projects’ or ‘strategically important projects’ with dedicated financial linkage.

13.6 The Committee appreciates the fact that the Ministry of Railways has a Backward Area Development Programme. However it is of utmost concern that hardly any progress has been made under this programme in the Himalayan State. The Committee was extremely concerned to note that since 1996, under the Backward Areas Development Scheme, no progress has been made and no financial resources have been sanctioned for the backward areas. The Committee feels that providing total budgetary support for projects in backward areas may be difficult but at least phase-wise allocation may be made so that the rail projects may be initiated. The Committee feels that the Pradhan Manti Rail Vikas Yojana (PMRVY) may be integrated with the Backward Area Development Scheme and instead of having multiple schemes only one Scheme preferably under the nomenclature of PMRVY may be made, for which a fund should be created to implement the backward area and the socially desirable projects. The Committee appreciates the issue regarding the fiscal constraints as far as funding of strategically important railway line is concerned and advocates that some sort of a methodology like imposing a cess could be done on lines of PMGSY so that a corpus fund could be created to fund the strategically important lines.

General Recommendations:

13.7 The Committee appreciates the initiative of the petitioners in bringing these very important issues to Parliament through this petition. The Committee takes this opportunity to appeal to all stakeholders to come together in this national effort to bring railways to all border areas of the country. The Committee on going through all the responses of the stake holders and against in given backdrop makes the following recommendations:-

(i) The railway line from Delhi to Dehradun may be converted into a double line from Haridwar to Dehradun so that the additional time taken from Haridwar to Dehradun could be saved. The possibility of direct connectivity between Muzaffarnagar – Roorkie - Haridwar (via Luxar) instead of present alignment through Deoband – Saharanpur - Tapri may be explored. This will help in substantially reducing the travel time between Dehradun and Delhi.

(ii) A new train may be started from Kathgodam to parts of Western India (Mumbai/Gujarat) to facilitate a large section of the population which does not have any train connectivity between these areas at present.

(iii) Anand Vihar-Kathgodam AC Special (14011/14012) should be extended to all seven days instead of the present three days in a week. The seating arrangement may be made in the pattern of the Shatabdi Express i.e. having Chair Cars so that this train can be a very good alternative to Shatabdi Express.

(iv) For proper coordination all railway lines in the State of Uttarakhand may be brought under one zone i.e. Northern Railway so as to facilitate better coordination and service. Placement of officers of the rank of DRMs may be made for both Dehradun and Haldwani.

(v) Train No.15035 i.e. Uttar going from Delhi to Ramnagar should have a brief halt at Pirumadara so that a large per centage of population of both Kashipur and Ramnagar is benefitted.

(vi) All trains passing through Doiwala Railway Station such as Shatabdi Express, Jan Shatabdi Express should have a brief stoppage at Doiwala Railway Station so as critically ill patients can be taken to the nearby Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences. The Doiwala Railway Station may be suitably upgraded, keeping in view the fact that Railway Station provides the nearest linkage to the Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun. Adequate provisions for a proper waiting room, toilet facilities, food stalls and transport desks may be made at Doiwala Station. The Station may be upgraded to the level of in a specific time bound manner.

APPENDIX‐I

PETITION SIGNED BY SHRI KEDAR SINGH FONIA, MLA, UTTARAKHAND AND SIX OTHER PERSONS PRAYING FOR DEVELOPMENT OF RAILWAY NETWORKS IN UTTARAKHAND, HIMACHAL PRADESH AND OTHER HIMALAYAN STATES

To

The Council of States (Rajya Sabha), Parliament of India.

Petition of SHRI KEDAR SINGH FONIA, MLA, UTTARAKHAND SHRI CHANDAN RAM DAS, MLA SHRI KHAJAN DAS, MLA SHRI GOPAL SINGH RAWAT, MLA, SHRI LAXMAN SINGH PATWAL, MLA SHRI VIJA Y BAHUGUNA, M.P., LOK SABHA AND SHRI K.C. SINGH BABA, M.P., LOK SABHA

for development of railway network in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan States bordering China.

Sheweth

The Himalayan States are the guardians of the country's borders and contribute largely to conservation of its environment as well as security. To strengthen the security network in the Western Himalayas, there is a strong need for development of railway network. Such a rail network would not only benefit the States through which it passes in terms of economy and tourism but would facilitate fast movement of men and material in times of natural calamity and meet defense needs.

Transportation needs in Himalayan States

2. The Himalayan States present a dismal picture in terms of transportation networks. This region has the lowest road and railway density in the country. The mode of transport and communication are not developed to the desired level resulting in lack of economic and industrial development of this region. Inadequate road and rail links have left many areas inaccessible and their great potential in forest products, cash crops, hydropower, animal husbandry and tourism remain unexploited. Railways being the principal mode of transport in the country can act as catalyst for socio-economic development of this region Although difficult terrain, severe climatic conditions and sparse population are often cited as reasons for the apparent lack of interest in constructing roads and railway network-short, sighted Government policies have also equally contributed to the poor-development of infrastructure in the region.

Position of Railway network

3. The British left behind a track lane of 55596 km. in 62 years. Since independence the total railway track stands at 63,940 km. This works around addition of l30 km. in a year which is very pathetic. The situation in Himalayan States is even worse as not even a single Kilometer has been added there since independence. Almost all the network existing in this region is a legacy of British period. The major initiatives of Indian Railways since independence are the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line in J&K and railway line connecting Sevoke in West Bengal to Rangpo in Sikkim.

Development of railroad network by China on Indian border

4. China has completed its 3,900 km. Beijing-Lhasa rail link and is pushing ahead with seven other railroad projects adjoining the Indian border. China proposes to build 5,000 km. of rail links, with emphasis on establishing connectivity in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The country has also proposed to build a rail network in Nepal. Besides this, China is said to be considering an extension of the Golmu-Lhasa line up to Xigaze, south of Lhasa and from there to Yatung, a trading center, barely a few kilometers from Nathu La, a mountain pass that connects Tibet with Sikkim. There is a proposal too to extend the line to Nyingchi, an important trading town north of Arunachal Pradesh, at the tri- junction with Myanmar. These rail lines will bring Chinese trains up to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh - two Indian States that figure prominently on the radar of Sino-Indian disputes.

Need for Indian initiatives for development of railway network

5. Economists and security experts have been warning that Indian Government is napping while China is set to extend its railway network upto the Sino-Indian border. India's rail network is the world's most extensive but it does not penetrate the border-states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Although the feasibility of some rail links is being studied, some projects. have been sanctioned and others are being executed by Indian Railway, their completion targets may prove fickle, if the experience of the strife-torn States of Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur is any guide. Trains were supposed to be running in the Kashmir Valley by last August but that now looks unlikely to happen for another five years at least. Indian Railways' officials blame difficult, mountainous terrain for the delay in projects. About 120 kilometer of the 292 kilometer Kashmir railway line consists of tunnels; delaying matters further, several are reported to have collapsed during construction. Yet, the much longer Golmud-Lhasa rail runs through far more treacherous terrain and climatic conditions and was completed on time.

Local demands for railway lines

6. Social organizations, MPs, MLAs and State Governments of these States have since long been raising the issue of discrimination and step-motherly treatment in terms of expansion of railway network by successive Governments in this region. Some specific demands from different States is as under:-

(a) Himachal Pradesh (i) Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri; (ii) Ghanauli- Baddi; (iii) Nangal- Talwara; and (iv) Bilaspur- Manali-Leh.

(b) Uttarakhand (i) Rishikesh - Karanprayag; (ii) Tanakpur -Ghat- Bageshwar; (iii) Dehradun - Kalsi; (iv) Ram Nagar -Chaukhutiya; (v) Haridwar-Kotdwar-Ramnagar-Kathgodam; and (vi) Rishikesh- Dehradun.

(c) Arunachal Pradesh (i) Hirumati - Itanagar; and (ii) Rupai - Parasuramkund,

(d) Jammu and Kashmir Jammu-Rajauri-Poonch.

(e) Sikkim (i) Mirik -Gangtok; and (ii) Extention of Sevoke-Rangpu line upto Gangtok

7. Unless there is an expansion of railway network and Himalayan States are linked with better rail infrastructure, the industrialization and economic development cannot take place to desired level. It is, therefore, prayed that the Ministry of Railways should declare projects for development of railway network in Himalayan States as NATIONAL PROJECTS and initiate work on above mentioned railway lines on priority.

Sl.N. Name Address Signature

1. Shri Kedar Singh Fonia, D-9 Nehru Colony, Sd/-

MLA, Dehradun

2. Shri Chandan Ram Dass Village Post Sd/-

MLA Bageshwar

3. Shri Khajandas Village Jhageri, Post Srikot Sd/-

MLA, Dhanauti Distt. Tehri Garhwal

Uttarakhand

4. Shri Gopal Singh Rawat Purani Kachari Road, Sd/-

S/o K.S. Rawat, ()

MLA

5. Shri Vijay Bahuguna 3 HCM Sd/-

M.P. (Lok Sabha)

6. Shri K.C. Singh (Baba) 4 Mahadev Road Sd/-

M.P. (Lok Sabha) New Delhi 7. Shri Laxman S.Patwal Dubanni Foundation Sd/-

C-2/92, Sec.-36 Noida

APPENDIX-II MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS, RAILWAY BOARD

No.2010/W2/NR/PQR/5 New Delhi, Dated: 10.05.2010

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Petition praying for development of railway network in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan States bordering China.

The undersigned is directed to refer to Rajya Sabha Sectt.'s O.M. No. R.S.7(3)/2010-Com-II dated 19.03.2010.

As desired, please find enclosed a detailed note on the railway projects mentioned in para 6 of the petition submitted by Shri Kedar Singh Fonia, MLA/Uttarakhand and others.

Sd/- (P.K. Sanghi) Executive Director (Works) Railway Board

Shri Ashok K. Sahoo, Deputy Director / Rajya Sabha Sectt., Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi.

NOTE

It is a fact that since independence about 11000 km of new rail lines has been constructed. However, Railways have also strengthened the existing network by laying additional lines on the congested corridors to increase the carrying capacity. Gauge Conversion have also been done in a big way since 1992 and 16917 km. of Meter Gauge/Narrow Gauge lines have been converted to Broad Gauge. The track structure on all the routes have been upgraded and track renewals have been done from time-to-time. All these efforts have increased the carrying capacity on IR network.

A number of projects have been taken up all over the country. The details of ongoing new line, gauge conversion and doubling projects as on 1.4.2010 is as under:

Plan Head No. of Throwforward as on 01.04.2010 Projects ( in crore) New Line 122 59,875 Gauge Conversion 45 17,261 Doubling 160 21,545 Total: 327 98,681

The majority of new lines projects have been taken up for providing connectivity to various backward, under developed, hilly and other far flung areas to bring such areas into main stream. However, the projects are facing severe financial constraints resulting into very long gestation periods. Efforts have been made to generate additional resources through participation by the Beneficiaries/ State Governments, additionality for National Projects and also taking up some projects through Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.

As regards the line in the J&K, it is mehtioned that the line from Jammu to Udhampur and from Quazigund to Baramulla has already been commissioned. There have been certain geo-technical difficulties faced in Udhampur-Quazigund section as the alignment is passing through very difficult Himalayan terrain. Necessary steps have been taken and it is expected that Udhampur-Katra will get completed by December, 2011 and Katra-Quazigund by 2017-18.

The status of specific demands mentioned in the petition are as under:

(a) HIMACHAL PRADESH

(i) Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri new line work

The work of new line Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri is already sanctioned. Final Location Survey (FLS) for the project has been completed and part detailed estimate for the first 20 km. of the project section (Bhanupalli-Dharot) has already been sanctioned. Contract for earthwork and minor bridges for the first 3 km. has been awarded and MoU signed with GSI for geological investigation. 'Land acquisition for the project is also under process. An outlay of 41 crore has been provided for the work in Railway Budget 2010-11.

(ii) Ghanauli-Baddi new line work

The work of Chandigarh-Baddi was included in Budget 2007- 08. State Government of Punjab and U.T. of Chandigarh expressed inability to 'provide land for the project in the U.T. area. Himachal Pradesh Govt. then requested for examining the alternate alignment connecting Baddi to Ghanauli. The survey has been completed and the survey report is presently under examination in the Ministry. As per the said survey report, the cost of construction of this 26 km. long line has been assessed as 541 crore with a Rate of Return of (-) 3.44%. Further decision on the project will be taken based on the examination of the survey report.

(iii) Nangal Dam-Talwara new line

33 Km. stretch from Nangal Dam to Churaru Takrala has already been completed and opened to traffic. The work on Churaru Takrala-Amb Anduara (11.6 Km.) has also been completed and the mandatory safety clearance for the section is awaited. The next phase of the project is being planned from Amb Anduara to Kartoli Punjab (20 Km). In view of the huge escalation in the cost of the project, State Govt. of Himachal Pradesh was approached with proposals of cost sharing for the remaining work. The State Govt. has shown inability to fund the project. The cost of this project is 730 crore. Expenditure upto March, 2010 is 269 crore and an amount of 50 crore has been provided for the work in Railway Budget 2010-11.

(iv) Bilaspur-Mandi-Manali-Leh new line

The survey for construction of Bilaspur-Mandi-Manali-Leh new B.G. line has been completed. As per the said survey report, the cost of construction of this 498 km. long line has been assessed as 22831 crore with Rate of Return of (-) 4.42%. The survey report is presently under examination in the Ministry. This is one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon'ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Necessary action is being taken accordingly.

(b) UTTARAKHAND

(i) Rishikesh-Karanprayag new line

The work of new line from Rishikesh to Karanprayag (125 km.) has been included in Railway Budget 2010-11 at an anticipated cost of 4295.30 crore. The funding for this project will be through additionality by Ministry of Finance to Railway's Budgetary support.

(ii) Tanakpur-Bageshwar new line

Survey for construction of Tanakpur-Bageshwar new BG line (155 km.) has been proposed in Railway Budget 2010-11. Further action will be taken once the survey report is received.

(iii) Dehradun-Kalsi new line

This is one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon'ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Survey for the above new line' has been completed in Jan. 2010. Two alignments have considered in the survey report. As per the first alignment, the cost of construction of 43 km. long line has been assessed as 557 crore with a Rate of Return of (-) 3.90%. As per the second alignment, the cost of construction of 47 km. long line has been assessed as 676 crore with a Rate of Retum of (-) 4.08%. The survey report is presently under examination in the Ministry.

(iv) Ramnagar-Chaukhutiya new line

Survey for construction of Ramnagar-Chaukhutiya new BG line (86 km.) has been proposed in Railway Budget 2010-11. This is one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon'ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Earlier survey was completed in 1994-95. As per the said survey report, the cost of construction of this 87 km. long line was assessed as 400 crore with a negative Rate of Return. The project was not taken up.

(v) Haridwar-Kotdwar-Ramnagar-Katgodam new line

This is one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon'ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Updating survey for the above new line will be taken up and further necessary action will be taken thereafter.

(vi) Rishikesh-Dehradun new line

Rishikesh-Doiwala new line is one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon'ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Updating survey for the above new line will be taken up and further necessary action will be taken thereafter.

(c) ARUNACHAL PRADESH

(i) Railway line to Itanagar

Work is in progress in Harmuti-Naharlagun section (22 km.). An amount of 28.98 crore has been paid to District Commissioner Papumpara, Arunachal Pradesh towards compensation for land. The land in Arunachal Pradesh has been handed over but is pending in Assam. 10.70 lakh cum of earthwork done out of 40 lakh cum., eleven minor bridges and sub structure of three major bridges have been completed. Final location survey from Naharlagun to Itanagar has been completed. A reference was made to State Government to give their views regarding termination of line at Naharlagun. State Government has agreed to terminate the line at Naharlagun.

(ii) Railway line to Pasighat-Rupai

No survey has so far been done for new line between Pasighat and Rupai. However, a survey for construction of a new broad gauge line between Rupai to Parsuramkund via Mahadevpur, Namsai and Chaingkham (97.80 km) has been completed and the report is under examination. The cost of construction of this line has been assessed as 1036.94 crore with a negative Rate of Return of (-) 6.45%.

(d) JAMMU AND KASHMIR

(i) Jammu-Poonch new line

This is also one of the 114 socially desirable new line projects mentioned by Hon'ble Minister of Railways in her Budget Speech 2010-11 for processing through Planning Commission for approval. Updating survey for the above new line has been completed in 2008-09. As per the said survey report, the cost of construction of this 223 Km. long line has been assessed as 10459 crore with a Rate of Return of (-) 4.24%. As mentioned in the Hon'ble Minister's Budget Speech, the survey report will be sent to Planning Commission after suitable updation.

(e) SIKKIM

(i) Mirik-Ganktok line

A survey for construction of a new line from Mirik to Gangtok has recently been completed. As per the survey, the cost of construction of this 163.45 km long line has been assessed as 11684.29 crore. The survey report is under examination.

(ii) Expediting the Sivok-Rangpo-Gangtok national project.

Sivok-Rangpo is a National Project. Final location survey has been taken up. The work has been entrusted to M/s IRCON for execution. Target of completion is 2015-16. The survey for Rangpo-Gangtok railway line has been completed recently and proposal is under process for seeking necessary approval.

Declaration of project as National Project

As per extant rules, only projects important from strategic view point in J&K and NE region or developmental projects which result in greater integration of these regions with the rest of India, can be categorized as National Projects. Accordingly, projects in these regions have been declared as National Projects.

APPENDIX-III

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (RAILWAY BOARD)

No.2010/W-I/Genl./CoP New Delhi, 12th October, 2011

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Petition praying for development of Railway network in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan States.

The undersigned is directed to refer to Rajya Sabha Secretariat (Petitions Committee Branch)'s O.M. No. RS7(3)/2010-Com. II dated 28.09.2011 forwarding a copy of the Petition from Sh. K.S. Fonia, MLA (Uttarakhand) and Others seeking information with regard to expansion of railway network from different Himalayan States and to forward hereunder the status of the all the 15 sections as mentioned in the Petition, (in bilingual form), in the enclosed Note. Receipt of the same may kindly be acknowledged and the item may please be deleted from the list of pending Petitions.

DA/As above. (A.K. Maheshwari) Deputy Director (Works)-IV for Jt. Director (Works) Tel/Fax: 011-2307 0335 Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Petitions Committee Branch, {Shri Deepak Goyal, Joint Secretary}, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi

1. Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri, New Line

(i) Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri new line project was approved by CCEA in Feb., 2008 and funding pattern approved was as under:-

(a) 25% by State Government including cost of land acquisition assessed as 70 crore (any increase in land cost will have to be funded extra by State Government) (b) 25% by M/o Railways through normal GBS. (c) 50% by Ministry of Finance as additionality.

(ii) Earlier, a meeting was taken by PS to PM on 08.08.2007 on this project which was attended by Railway and State Government As per the minutes of the meeting Himachal Government would contribute 25% cost of the project, with balance funding coming from Ministry of Railways. Cost overrun would be taken care of by MoR.

(iii) State Government has been raising the issue of variance of the funding pattern approved by CCEA and funding pattern approved by PMO in August, 2007 and stating that they will contribute to only 25% of original sanctioned cost.

(iv) With the approval of Hon'ble Minister of Railways, State Government was requested in March, 2010 to agree for sharing 25% of completion cost.

(v) In the meantime, detailed estimate for the project has been prepared and the cost of the project which was initially sanctioned at a cost of 1047 crore is now estimated to be 2964 crore with cost of land as Rs. 558 crore.

(vi) Hon'ble Minister of Railways vide his letter dated 09.08.2011 has again requested Hon'ble Chief Minister/Himachal Pradesh for agreeing to bear 25% of completion cost as well as to provide the entire current cost of land. State Government's reply is awaited.

(vii) Final Location Survey of the project has been completed. Detailed Estimate of the first 3 km. has been sanctioned and Detailed Estimate of the remaining portion is in process. Contracts for earthwork and bridges for the first 3 km. have been awarded. MoU has been signed with GSI for geotechnical investigation of the project alignment.

2. Ghanauli-Baddi, New Line

Survey for Ghanauli-Baddi and Kalka-Baddi new lines were sanctioned in lieu of already sanctioned Chandigarh-Baddi new line project, since the same was not found to be feasible due to land acquisition problems. Survey for both the new lines have since been completed and survey reports received in the Ministry are under examination. Further action will be taken after evaluation of various alternatives.

3. Nangal Dam-Talwara, New Line

(i) Construction of Nangaldam-Talwara new line was included in Railway Budget 1981-82. The work remained frozen for about 8 years as the State Government of Himachal Pradesh backed out from their initial commitment to provide land free of cost for the project. The work restarted after the State Government agreed to provide Government land free of cost.

(ii) The Nangaldam-Amb Andaura (44 km) section of the project has already been completed and commissioned.

(iii) Due to unduly long gestation period of the project, the cost of the project has increased manifold. There has been an abrupt and huge increase in land cost on Amb Andaura-Kartoli Punjab portion also. The progress of the work has been reviewed by Board in view of such cost escalation and it has been held that Railway cannot complete the remaining portion of the project at desired speed through its normal GBS. State Government was accordingly requested to share 50% cost of the remaining portion of the project to which they have not agreed to. A letter to the Hon 'ble Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh requesting reconsideration of MOR's cost sharing proposal is under process.

4. Bilaspur-Manali-Leh, New Line

Survey for Bilaspur-Manali-Leh new line has been completed. As per the survey report, the cost of construction of this 498 km. long rail line has been assessed as 22831 crore with an ROR of (-) 4.46%. The project proposal was accordingly sent to Planning Commission for approval. Planning Commission in their reply have pointed out that the project is unviable and can be implemented only through appropriate financing and operational arrangements to be worked out by MOR in consultation with MOF and Planning Commission. Another survey for construction of new line from Pathankot to Leh has been taken up. Further decision on the project will be taken based on survey results.

5. Rishikesh-Karanprayag, New Line

Construction of Rishikesh-Karanprayag new line (125 km.) has been included in Railway Budget 2010-11 at an anticipated cost of 4295 crore. The project is being funded by Ministry of Finance as an additionality. Preliminary activities like final location survey, preparation of plan/estimates etc. have been taken up.

6. Tanakpur-Ghat-Bageshwar, New Line

An Updating survey for Tanakpur-Bageshwar (155 km.) new line project has been included in the Budget 2010-11 and completed in October, 2010. As per its survey report, cost of construction of 155 km. long line has been assessed as 2791 cr. with Rate of Return (ROJR) of (-) 1.16%. The report is under examination in Board Office.

7. Dehradun-Kalsi, New Line

Dehradun-Kalsi new line survey has been completed and survey report examined in the Ministry. Two alignments have been considered in the said survey report. As per the first alignment, the cost of construction of 43.5 km. long rail line (from Dehradun to Barawala Kalsi) has been assessed as 557.18 crore with a rate of return of (-) 3.90%. As per the second alignment, the cost of construction of 47 km. long rail line (from Dehradun to Haripur Kalsi) has been assessed as 676 crore with a rate of return of (-) 4.08%. In view of the high cost and strategic importance of the project, State Government of Uttrakhand and M/o Defence have been requested to share 50% cost of the project. Their response is awaited.

8. Ramnagar-Chaukhutiya, New Line

An updating PET survey for construction of new line from Ramnagar- Chaukhutiya (87.300 Km.) has been completed in August, 2011. As per survey report the cost of construction of 87.30 Km. long line has been assessed as 1378.73 crore with the rate of return of (-) 3.03%. The report is under examination.

9. Haridwar-Kotdwar-Ramnagar-Kathgodam, New Line

Haridwar-Kotdwar-Ramnagar new line survey has been completed. As per the survey report, the cost of construction of this 143 km. long rail line has been assessed as 1245.54 crore with a ROR of (-) 5.98%. The survey report is presently under examination in the Ministry.

10. Rishikesh-Dehradun, New Line

No survey for a direct rail link between Rishikesh and Dehradun has been conducted. However, Doiwala is connected to Dehradun through a B.G. rail link and Rishikesh-Doiwala new line survey has been completed. As per the survey report, the cost of construction of this 19.26 km. long rail line has been assessed as 260.28 crore with a negative ROR. The survey report is presently under examination in the Ministry.

11. Harmuti-Itanagar, New Line

Government of Arunachal Pradesh has accepted the proposal of termination of line at Naharlagun. Work is in progress in the entire section falling in Arunachal Pradesh and in part section in Assam where land has been handed over. An amount of 37.81 Crore towards compensation for land and assets in Arunachal Pradesh has been paid. Earthwork, bridge work and ballast supply are in progress. The Harmuti-Naharlagun new line project is expected to be completed by March, 2012. 12. Rupai-Parsuramkund, New Line A survey for construction of a new broad gauge line between Rupai to Parsuramkund via Mahadevpur, Namsai and Chaingkham (97.8 Km.) was completed during 2007-08. As per the report, the cost of construction of this line has been assessed as 1036.94 crore with a negative Rate of Return of (-) 6.45%. Due to unremunerative nature of the line and constraint of resources, it was not found feasible to take up the proposed line. However, an updating survey for a new line between Rupai and Parsuramkund has been included in the Budget 2011- 12. 13. Jammu-Rajauri-Poonch, New Line Survey for Jammu-Poonch (via Rajauri) new line was completed in 2010-11. As per the survey report, the cost of construction of this 223 km long rail line has been assessed as 13612.81 crore with an ROR of (-) 4.61 %. In view of the huge cost and strategic importance of the project, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Finance have been requested to provide funds for the project. Their response is awaited. 14. Mirik-Gangtok, New Line A survey for construction of new line from Mirik to Gangtok (163.45 Km.) has been completed and the report is under examination. Further consideration of the proposal would be feasible once results of the survey report are finalized. 15. Extension of Sivok-Rangpo line upto Gangtok Construction of 50.87 Km. long Sivok-Rangpo new line project was sanctioned in 2009-10 as a "National Project" at an anticipated cost of 3380.57 crore. The project is being executed with 25% funding from Railways Gross Budgetary Support and 75% funding by Ministry of Finance as additionality. An outlay of 200 crore has been sanctioned for 2011-12. The project has been entrusted to M/s IRCON for execution and MoU has been signed on 07.05.2010. A survey for construction of line between Rangpo to Gangtok has already been completed. The proposal was sent to Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance. However, Ministry of Finance has not supported the proposal.

APPENDIX-IV Comments on the petition received from Ministry of Defence (Vide OM No.H-11013/9/2011/D(Parl. dated 6th April, 2011)

Subject: Examination by Committee of Petitions, Rajya Sabha, of Petition praying for development of railway network in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan States.

Background

Construction of all weather railway lines greatly enhances military capability. It has the following operational implications:

(a) All weather connectivity to remote areas like Ladakh, Tawang etc. with rapid mass transportation capability.

(b) Advance winter stocking, logistic sustenance and relief of troops.

(c) Facilitation of operations by rapid induction and switching of forces.

2. Indian Railways aims at augmentation of existing capacity through new constructions, doubling and up-gauging of railway lines. This process is largely dependent upon the economic viability of the intended project. As a corollary, planned capacity enhancement of the Indian Railways takes place in sectors which are financially viable. At the same time, certain railway projects are important for the armed forces from operational and logistics perspective. Such railway lines are categorised as strategic.

Comments on Railway Lines Raised in the Petition

3. The petition requesting for development of Railways network in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan States has been examined in the Ministry in consultation with Army Headquarters. A total of 15 railway lines have been mentioned in the Petition. These relate to 4 lines in Himachal Pradesh, 6 lines in Uttarakhand, 2 lines in Arunachal Pradesh, 1 line in Jammu and Kashmir and 2 lines in Sikkim. Out of these, only 5 lines are strategic from the national security perspective.

4. These five strategic lines are as follows: (a) Himachal Pradesh: Pathankot-Leh alignment (b) Uttarakhand: (i) Rishikesh-Karanprayag (ii) Tanakpur-Ghat- Bhageshwar (c) Arunachal Pradesh: Rupai - Parashuramkund (d) J&K: Jammu-Akhnoor-Poonch

5. The status of the railway projects proposed in the Petition from the perspective of strategic needs of the armed forces, as also the status of their development by Railways, is indicated below:

State Project Strategic Appraisal

Himachal i. Bhanupalli- Bilaspur- Beri Pradesh ii. Ghanauli - Baddi Not strategic. iii. Nangal- Talwara iv. Bilaspur- Manali- Leh Pathankot-Leh alignment is Strategic. 1,56,00,000 has been allocated by Ministry of Railways for survey in FY 2010-11. Uttara- Strategic. khand v. Rishikesh- Karanprayag Survey for the 125 kms. line is in progress. 13,65,000 has been allocated by Ministry of Railways for survey work relating to the 35 km. extension to Chamoli in FY 2010-11. Uttara- vi. Tanakpur- Ghat- Strategic. Bhageshwar khand vii. Dehradun- Kalsi Not strategic. However, Dehradun- Uttarkashi line is Strategic,

and the alignment may be

through Rishikesh.

viii. Rishikesh- Dehradun 35,10,000 has been

allocated by Ministry of

Railways for survey in FY

2010-11.

ix. Ramnagar- Chaukhutiya

x. Haridwar- Kotdwar- Not strategic. Ramnagar- Katgodham

Arunachal xi. Hirumati - Itanagar Not strategic.

Pradesh xii. Rupai- Parashuramkund Strategic. 42,90,000 has been alloca- ted by Ministry of Railways for survey in FY 2010-11 for Pasighat-Parashu-ramkund.