Statement

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government proposes to establish a dedicated Electronics Export Promotion Centre (EEPC) in Mumbai considering the city’s role as India’s financial capital, major port hub and gateway for global electronic 11.02.2026 983 trade; (b) if so, quantum of financial assistance or grant-in-aid proposed to be provided by the Ministry for the establishment, infrastructure creation and operationalisation of the said Centre along with year-wise budgetary allocations; (c) the objectives and expected outcomes of proposed Centre in terms of increasing electronics exports, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and start-up participation, technology upgrading and employment generation in Mumbai and the wider Maharashtra region; (d) whether any timeline has been fixed for approval and commissioning of the Centre and the agencies responsible for its implementation; (e) if not, the reasons for delay despite Mumbai’s strategic advantage in export logistics, access to finance and international markets; and (f) the steps being taken by the Government to address this gap in India’s electronics export promotion ecosystem? THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA): (a) to (f): The Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) is an export promotion body established in 1989 to promote India’s exports of electronics hardware, components and computer software/IT services. It functions under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. 11.02.2026 984 The mission of ESC is to champion the global growth of Indian ICT enterprises by: • Promoting exports of software, electronics, and IT-enabled services. • Facilitating global market access through exhibitions, B2B meets, and trade delegations. • Advocating policy support and representing industry interests to the Government of India. • Providing insights, resources, and platforms for members to stay competitive and future-ready. ESC assists exporters by providing market intelligence, trade facilitation, policy advocacy, buyer–seller meets, international exhibitions, and export compliance support, and acts as the nodal interface between industry and Government on electronics and software export matters. The council is tasked with assisting exporters throughout the country. The Government recognizes that the growth of electronics manufacturing and exports is critical to India’s economic development and is committed to strengthening the ecosystem, boosting global competitiveness, and creating sustainable employment. Towards this, Government encourages Indian exporters to participate in the exhibitions and provides grant-in-aid under certain Schemes, wherein, regular bilateral institutional mechanism meetings are held with the Promotion Council, foreign Governments and Indian Missions abroad to explore new opportunities, 11.02.2026 985 identify and resolve trade issues thereby increasing Indian exports of electronics. Driven by Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Government has taken several policy measures in the last 11 years with an aim to promote domestic production and exports of electronic goods. These measures include:  Semicon Indian Programme  PLI scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing  PLI Scheme for IT Hardware  Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS)  Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC and EMC 2.0) Scheme  Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS)  Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017 to prioritize domestically manufactured products in public procurement  Reforms in taxation including rationalization of tariff structure, exemption on basic custom duty on capital goods, etc.  Allowing 100% FDI in electronics manufacturing, subject to applicable laws / regulations As a result of these initiatives, Electronics production and exports have witnessed a significant growth as can been seen from the statistics below: 11.02.2026 986 # 2014-15 2024-25 Remarks Production of electronics goods (Rs.) ~1.9 Lakh Cr ~11.3 Lakh Cr Increased 6 times Export of electronics goods (Rs.) ~0.38 Lakh Cr ~3.3 Lakh Cr Increased 8 times Production of mobile phones (Rs.) ~0.18 Lakh Cr ~5.5 Lakh Cr Increased 28 times Export of mobile phones (Rs.) ~0.01 Lakh Cr ~ 2 Lakh Cr Increased 127 times EXPANSION OF DIGITAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE 2066. SHRIMATI PRATIMA MONDAL: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has ensured that expansion of digital public infrastructure does not lead to exclusion, surveillance risks or data misuse particularly for vulnerable populations; (b) the concrete progress made under India’s semiconductor mission in terms of operational fabs, timelines and indigenous capacity in light of global supply-chain realignments; and 11.02.2026 987 (c) the manner in which the Government reconcile frequent internet shutdowns with India’s global digital economy ambitions and constitutional freedoms? THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA): (a) to (c): In line with the Hon'ble Prime Minister's vision to democratise use of technology, the Government of India has promoted Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) across India. Under the Digital India programme, the Government has adopted the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach to enable delivery of digital services at population scale through open, interoperable and scalable platforms. Government has successfully implemented foundational digital public infrastructure (DPI) at population scale for identity (Aadhaar), for payment (UPI), for data exchange (DigiLocker and API Setu), etc. DPI has been a transformative force in India's socio-economic development, significantly enhancing financial inclusion, digital inclusion, governance and economic growth. To prevent digital exclusion, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiatives incorporate multilingual interfaces through the National Language Translation Mission (NLTM) – BHASHINI, accessibility features for persons with disabilities, and assisted service delivery through Common Service Centres (CSCs) and other facilitation channels, ensuring last-mile service delivery to 11.02.2026 988 rural and vulnerable populations. The Government is committed to ensuring that the expansion of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) remains inclusive, secure, and respectful of citizens’ privacy and rights, including vulnerable populations. The following legal and policy safeguards are in place:  The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) provides a comprehensive legal framework for processing digital personal data in a manner that recognises the rights of individuals to protect their personal data while enabling lawful use of such data.  The DPDP Act provides additional protections for children and persons with disabilities, including the requirement of verifiable consent from parents or lawful guardians.  The Aadhaar framework is governed by the Aadhaar Act, 2016 and related regulations impose strict controls on storage, access, and sharing of identity data. The semiconductor development strategy is inspired by Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, Make for the world. As part of this strategy, India aims to develop a complete ecosystem, ranging from design, fabrication, assembly, testing, packaging and module manufacturing. Given the foundational nature of semiconductor industry for the economy, the Government has launched the ‘Semicon India Programme’ with a total outlay 11.02.2026 989 of Rs. 76,000 crore for the development of semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in the country. Following are the salient achievements/progress under this Programme:  Government has approved 10 projects with envisaged investments of about Rs. 1.6 Lakh Crore which includes 2 fabs and 8 packaging units. These units inter-alia include Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) (Silicon) fab, Silicon Carbide fab, advanced packaging, memory packaging, etc. These projects are in various stages of implementation and pilot production has started in 4 units.  24 chip design projects have been supported through startups. 16 have completed tape outs and 13 have received Venture Capital funding.  350 universities have been provided access to Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools, used by 65,000 engineers. Budget 2026-27 has announced Semicon 2.0 program. As per the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024 notified under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the competent authority must first explore all reasonable alternatives to address the public emergency and public safety concerns before issuing an order for the temporary suspension of internet services. If such a suspension is deemed necessary, then the suspension order must be published clearly stating the reason and be limited to defined geographical area and specified duration. Generally, during the temporary suspension of telecommunication 11.02.2026 990 services in a region, only internet services are suspended and other telecommunication services like voice calling and Short Message Service (SMS) remain available through which people in that region can communicate and access emergency services. These safeguards ensure that the need to maintain public order and safety is balanced with India’s global digital economy ambitions and the protection of constitutional freedoms. STATUS OF BSNL’S 4G/5G ROLLOUT AND NETWORK COVERAGE 2067. SHRI GURMEET SINGH MEET HAYER: Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state: (a) the present status of the 5G rollout by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the reasons for the delay compared to other telecom service providers; (b) the revised timelines for nationwide rollout of 4G and 5G services by BSNL and the extent of coverage achieved so far; (c) the percentage of BSNL’s overall network coverage under 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G across the country, including circle-wise details thereof; (d) whether the Government has assessed the impact of delayed network modernisation on BSNL’s subscriber base, revenues and market share and if so, the details thereof; and (e) the details of the policy, financial and operational support measures being provided to enable BSNL to remain a viable and competitive public sector 11.02.2026 991 telecom operator? THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS (DR. CHANDRA SEKHAR PEMMASANI): (a): In line with Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, BSNL has placed purchase order for indigenously developed one lakh 4G equipment for pan India deployment. Supply of 4G equipment has started from September 2023 and as on 15.01.2026, total 97,672 4G sites have been installed and 95,511 sites are ON-Air. The equipment is 5G upgradable from technology perspective. (b): Currently, BSNL is installing 1 lakh 4G towers and on further expansion, BSNL continues to increase its number of towers as per techno-commercial viability. (c): Out of total 6,41,525 villages (as per census 2011), BSNL is covering 4,35,070 villages across the country. The Circle-wise details of BSNL’s coverage are attached at Statement. (d) and (e): With a view to strengthen BSNL/MTNL and to make them robust, competitive and viable, Government has approved three revival packages to BSNL/MTNL amounting to approx. Rs. 3.22 Lakh crores. These packages cover capital infusion, debt restructuring, viability gap funding for rural telephony, and the provision of 4G/5G spectrum, among other measures. As a result of the revival packages given to BSNL, BSNL has started earning operating profits from F.Y. 2020-21. STATEMENT 11.02.2026 992 Village Coverage of BSNL as on 31.12.2025 Sl. No. Circle Total villages No. of Villages covered with BSNL’s cellular services (census 2011) 1 Uttar Pradesh (East) 80,029 73,652 2 Madhya Pradesh 54,903 24,394 3 Odisha 51,313 26,018 4 Bihar 44,874 29,064 5 Rajasthan 44,672 26,111 6 Maharashtra 43,999 28,705 7 West Bengal 40,218 33,767 8 Jharkhand 32,394 19,673 9 Karnataka 29,340 17,894 10 Uttar Pradesh (West) 26,745 14,740 11 Assam 26,395 20,772 12 Himachal Pradesh 20,690 17,009 13 Chhattisgarh 20,125 14,186 14 Gujarat 18,309 10234 15 Andhra Pradesh 17,366 12848 16 Uttarakhand 16,793 13207 17 Tamilnadu 14,433 12,162 18 Punjab 12,592 12,087 19 Telangana 10,434 9,104 20 North East II 9,532 4,435 21 North East I 8,544 2,089 22 Haryana 6,841 4,332 23 Jammu & Kashmir 6,553 4,489 24 Chennai (TD) 1,636 1,635 25 Kerala 1,039 1,036 26 Kolkata (TD) 750 727 27 Andaman & Nicobar 555 372 28 Sikkim 451 328 11.02.2026 993 Grand total 6,41,525 4,35,070 DIGITISATION OF POST OFFICE SAVINGS SCHEMES 2068. DR. D. RAVI KUMAR: Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that India Post operates over 1.64 lakh post offices, serving more than 45 crore postal savings account holders and the measures taken to modernise and digitise post office savings schemes to enhance ease of access, transparency and financial inclusion and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether 100% of post offices have been brought under the Core Banking Solutions (CBS) and connected through the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) platform to enable online deposits, withdrawals, fund transfers, and real-time balance enquiries and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether any post offices remain outside full digital integration and if so, the reasons therefor and the time-bound roadmap for their completion; and (d) whether the impact on new digital platforms, mobile apps, and paperless services, including IPPB Mobile Banking, have been introduced to facilitate transactions under schemes such as NSC, KVP and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme and if so, the details and impact thereof? THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS (DR. CHANDRA SEKHAR PEMMASANI): 11.02.2026 994 (a) and (b): Yes Sir. The Department of Posts through a network of over 1.64 lakh Post Offices serves more than 45 crore Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) account holders. To modernise and digitise Post Office Savings Schemes, Core Banking Solution (CBS) along with digital services such as ATMs, internet and mobile banking, online account opening/closure, deposits, real- time balance enquiry through online banking, fund transfers through NEFT/ RTGS, IPPB–POSA linkage, etc., have been enabled in POSB through its CBS platform. In addition to facilities given to POSB customers, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) is offering its customers a range of services such as savings and current accounts, Virtual Debit Card, Domestic Money Transfer services, bill and utility payments, insurance services for IPPB customers, online payment for Post Office Savings schemes, Digital Life Certificate (DLC), Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS), mobile number update in Aadhaar for any citizen and Child Enrolment services for any child of 0-5 years old. All these services are contributing towards enhancing ease of access, transparency and financial inclusion. (c): No Sir. All post offices are working on digital platform. (d): Department of Posts through internet banking, enables transactions under the scheme such as National Savings Certificate (NSC), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS). These initiatives have improved customer convenience and enhanced ease of operations. PENDING CASES IN NCDRC 11.02.2026 995 2069. SHRI K. SUDHAKARAN: Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state: (a) the total number of cases currently pending in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), State Commissions and District Commissions as of January 2026; (b) the details of existing vacancies for the posts of President and Members in State and District Consumer Commissions, State-wise; (c) whether the Government has evaluated the impact of the e-Jagriti portal on the actual rate of case disposal given the continued delays in physical court proceedings and if so, the details thereof; (d) whether the Union Government is considering a mandatory "Zero- Vacancy" policy to ensure that recruitment processes start six months prior to a seat falling vacant; and (e) if so, the steps taken by the Government to ensure that 100% of Consumer Commissions are equipped with functional hybrid (video) hearing facilities to address geographical and physical hurdles for litigants? THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI B. L. VERMA): (a): As per Section 38 (7) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, every complaint shall be disposed of as expeditiously as possible and endeavour 11.02.2026 996 shall be made to decide the complaint within a period of three months from the date of receipt of notice by opposite party where the complaint does not require analysis or testing of commodities and within five months, if it requires analysis or testing of commodities. To serve the interest of speedy justice to the end consumers, Consumer Protection Act states that no adjournment shall ordinarily be granted by the consumer commissions unless sufficient cause is shown and the reasons for grant of adjournment have been recorded in writing by the Commission. The number of cases pending before National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), State Commissions and District Commissions as of January 2026 is as follows : S No. Commission(s) Pending cases 1. NCDRC 16,382 2. SCDRCs 1,21,922 3. DCDRCs 4,36,029 Total 5,74,333 (b) to (e): Under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, it is the responsibility of the State Governments to fill up the vacancies of President and Members in the State Commissions and District Commissions. Further, as per Rule 6(4) of the Consumer Protection (Qualification for appointment, method of recruitment, procedure of appointment, term of office, resignation and removal of the President and members of the State Commission and District Commission) Rules, 2020, the process of appointments shall be initiated by the State Government atleast 6 months before the vacancy arises. 11.02.2026 997 As per Section 32 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, if, at any time, there is a vacancy in the office of the President or Member of the District Commission, the State Government may, by notification, direct - a) any other District Commission specified in that notification to exercise the jurisdiction in respect of that district also; or b) the President or a member of any other District Commission specified in that notification to exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the President or member of that District Commission also. Also, the Central Government has been continuously taking up the matter with the State Governments/UT Administrations for expeditious filling up of the existing and anticipated vacancies of President and Members of the Consumer Commissions. The details of existing vacancies in State and District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission are at Statement. The Department has launched “e-Jagriti” portal on 1st January, 2025, which aims to enhance consumer grievance redressal through a micro-service architecture, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning integration and modern features like faceless onboarding and role-based dashboards. It unifies existing applications (OCMS, e-Daakhil, NCDRC CMS, CONFONET) into a single, scalable platform, allowing users to file complaints seamlessly from anywhere with multilingual support. The portal is designed to provide a convenient, transparent and efficient means for consumers to seek redressal by enabling online complaint filing, digital submission of documents, online payment of fees and also supports virtual courtrooms, enabling the hearing of 11.02.2026 998 cases remotely and ensuring faster disposal while reducing dependency on physical infrastructure. These features address bottlenecks like geographical barriers, scheduling conflicts and manual interventions. Further, VC equipment for conducting hearing through video conferencing mode has already been installed and made functional at 10 benches of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and 35 benches of State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRCs). e-Jagriti has reduced reliance on physical proceedings and has accelerated justice delivery. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and State Commissions in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand achieved disposal rates above 100% after July, 2025. In 2025, 1,62,474 cases were filed and 1,50,197 disposed of, that outperformed the disposal rate of the year 2024. Also, 572 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) registered their complaints using e-Jagriti portal from abroad till December, 2025. STATEMENT 11.02.2026 999 The details of existing vacancies in State and District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (As on 31.12.2025) S. No. State State Commission District Commission President Member President Member Vacant Post Vacant Post Vacant Post Vacant Post 1 A&N Island (UT) 1 4 0 2 2 Andhra Pradesh 1 2 4 3 3 Arunachal Pradesh 1 2 0 34 4 Assam 1 3 0 3 5 Bihar 0 0 14 36 6 Chandigarh (UT) 0 1 0 2 7 Chhattisgarh 0 3 17 20 8 D&N Haveli and D&D (UT) 1 3 1 1 9 Delhi (UT) 0 0 2 2 10 Goa 1 2 0 0 11 Gujarat 0 3 11 28 12 J&K (UT) 1 1 6 11 13 Kerala 0 2 2 5 14 Ladakh (UT) 1 4 2 4 15 Lakshadweep (UT) 1 0 1 0 16 Haryana 0 1 2 7 17 Himachal Pradesh 0 0 0 9 18 Jharkhand 1 3 11 17 19 Karnataka 0 7 15 13 20 Madhya Pradesh 0 4 6 34 21 Maharashtra 0 2 9 21 22 Manipur 0 0 0 0 23 Meghalaya 0 2 0 1 24 Mizoram 1 0 0 3 11.02.2026 1000 25 Nagaland 0 1 0 0 26 Odisha 1 0 0 0 27 Puducherry (UT) 1 2 0 0 28 Punjab 1 3 6 14 29 Rajasthan 0 0 2 21 30 Sikkim 1 2 0 4 31 Tamilnadu 0 5 7 18 32 Telangana 1 0 3 3 33 Tripura 1 0 0 2 34 Uttarakhand 1 1 9 2 35 Uttar Pradesh 0 7 21 36 36 West Bengal 0 5 18 23 Total 18 75 169 379 STATUS OF ONGOING/SANCTIONED RAILWAY PROJECTS KARNATAKA 2070. SHRI GOVIND MAKTHAPPA KARJOL: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) the details of ongoing/sanctioned railway projects in the State of Karnataka, including new lines, doubling, electrification and suburban rail projects, indicating for each project the funds sanctioned/funds released/funds utilized so far and the stipulated and revised timelines for completion; (b) the details of the present status of these projects and the reasons for delays and cost overruns, if any; (c) the extent of support provided by the Government of Karnataka in terms of land acquisition, statutory clearances and financial contribution and whether lack of timely support from the State Government has affected the progress of any project and if so, the details thereof; and 11.02.2026 1001 (d) the details of the steps taken by the Central Government to address these issues and ensure timely completion of railway projects in Karnataka? THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS; MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW): (a) to (d): Budget allocation in the recent years has increased significantly. Budget allocation for infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of Karnataka is as under: Period Outlay 2009-14 ₹835 crore/year 2025-26 ₹7,564 crore (more than 9 times) As on 01.04.2025, 25 projects (15 new lines, 10 doubling) of 3,264 km length, costing ₹ 42,517 crore falling fully/partly in Karnataka are sanctioned. The summary is as under:- Category No of sanctioned Projects Total Length (in km) Length Commissioned Upto Mar'25 (km) Exp upto Mar'25 (₹ in cr.) New Line 15 2,034 421 8,794 Doubling/ Multitracking 10 1,230 973 12,516 Total 25 3,264 1,394 21,310 11.02.2026 1002 Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in Karnataka are as under : S. No Project Cost (₹in Crores) 1 Kottur-Harihar new line (65 km) 468 2 Hassan-Bangalore new line (167 km) 1,290 3 Bidar-Gulbarga new line (110 km) 1,543 4 Shivani-Hosadurga Road doubling (10 km) 50 5 Shivani-Birur Doubling (29 km) 143 6 Hosadurga-Chikjajur doubling (29 km) 260 7 Ramanagram-Mysore patch doubling (94 km) 998 8 Yelahanka – Chennasadra doubling (13 km) 108 9 Yeshwantpur-Yelahanka doubling (12 km) 95 10 Netrawati-Mangalore Central doubling (2 km) 28 11 Kankanadi-Panambur doubling (19 km) 350 12 Arsikere-Tumkur doubling (96 km) 758 13 Yelahanka-Penukonda doubling (123 km) 1,104 14 Daund-Gulbarga doubling (225 km) 3,182 15 Hubli-Chikjajur doubling (190 km) 1,850 Some of the projects falling fully/partly in Karnataka which have been taken up are as under: 11.02.2026 1003 S No. Project Cost (₹ in Crores) 1 Hospet-Hubli-Londa-Vasco-de-Gama doubling (312 km) 4,153 2 Hotgi-Gadag doubling (284 km) 2,459 3 Ginigera - Raichur new line (165 km) 3,401 4 Gadag - Wadi new line (257 km) 2,842 5 Bagalkot – Kudachi new line (142 km) 1,649 6 Tumkur – Rayadurga new line (207 km) 2,496 7 Tumkur – Davangere new line (182 km) 2,142 8 Kadur – Chikmagalur – Belur new line (68 km) 825 9 Baiyyapanahalli – Hosur doubling (48 km) 336 10 Yeshwanthpur – Channasandra doubling (22 km) 314 In last three years 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and current financial year 2025-26, 65 surveys (25 new line and 40 doubling) covering a total length of 7,240 km has been sanctioned falling fully/partly in the State of Karnataka. Details of some major projects which are delayed due to land acquisition are as under:- S No. Project Total Land required (in ha) Land acquired (in ha) Balance Land to be acquired (in ha) 1 Shimoga – Rannebennur new line (96 km) 559 226 333 2 Belgaum – Dharwad new line (73 km) 581 0 581 11.02.2026 1004 3 Shimoga – Harihar new line (79 km) 488 0 488 4 Whitefield-Kolar new line (53 km) 337 0 337 5 Hassan-Belur new line (32 km) 206 0 206 Summary of the status of land acquisition in Karnataka is as under:- Total Land required for Projects in Karnataka 9,064 ha Land Acquired 5,707 ha (63%) Balance Land to be acquired 3,357 ha (37%) Government of India is geared up to execute projects, however success depends upon the support of Government of Karnataka. Sanction of any railway project depends upon many parameters/factors which include the following:  Anticipated traffic projections and remunerativeness of the proposed route  First and last mile connectivity provided by the project  Connection of missing links and providing additional route  Augmentation of congested/saturated lines  Demands raised by State Governments/Central Ministries/Public representatives  Railway’s own operational requirements 11.02.2026 1005  Socio-economic considerations  Overall availability of funds Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include the following:  Land acquisition by State Government  Forest clearance  Shifting of infringing utilities  Statutory clearances from various authorities  Geological and topographical conditions of area  Law and order situation in the area of project site  Number of working months in a year for particular project site etc. All these factors affect the completion time and cost of the project/s. Bengaluru Suburban: Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (K-RIDE), a Company controlled by State Government of Karnataka (51% equity) is executing the Bengaluru Suburban Transport Project (BSTP). BSTP (148.17 Km) has been sanctioned at a cost of ₹ 15,767 Cr. with 20% funding each by Government of India and Government of Karnataka and 60% through debt. BSTP has four Corridors, viz., Corridor-1: KSR Bengaluru City - Devanahalli (41.4 Km) Corridor-2: Baiyyapanahalli - Chikkabanawara (25.01 Km) Corridor-3: Kengeri - Whitefield (35.52 Km) 11.02.2026 1006 Corridor-4: Heelalige - Rajankunte (46.25 Km) Work is in progress on Corridor-2 & 4. Preliminary work for Corridor 1 & 3 has been taken up by K-RIDE. Indian Railway has transferred the railway land to K-RIDE for the project however progress of transferring of State Government land is very slow. Ministry of Railways has released ₹ 500 Cr. for BSTP project till date. Till date, expenditure of ₹ 2,385 Cr. has been incurred on the BSTP project. Railway Electrification: Electrification of Railway network on Indian Railways has been taken up in mission mode. So far, about 99.4% of Broad Gauge (BG) network has been electrified. The electrification in remaining network has been taken up. Electrification carried out during 2014-25 and before 2014 is as under: Period Route Kilometer Before 2014 (about 60 years) 21,801 2014-25 46,900 In Karnataka, 97% of BG network has been electrified and electrification in remaining network has been taken up.

Spoke on 2026-02-11T00:00:00.000Z

In debate Papers laid on the Table of the house by Ministers/Members