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So, in all the cases whether it is rolling stock or new lines or gauge conversion or doubling or electrification or diesel locomotive or wagons, the Railways will not be able to achieve the targets fixed during Ninth Five Year Plan. Even in the case of doubling which is required to increase the capacity, the achievement will be less than 50 per cent.

1500hrs.

Then, how has the Ninth Five Year Plan for the Railways been formulated? Madam, when the hon. Minister became the Railway Minister in 1998, he presented two reports. One was the Status Report which dealt with the problems of Indian Railways and the other was about the pending projects. Now he has stated that that Status Report is being updated. We know the problems of the Indian Railways but the point is, how these problems can be resolved. He had set up the Rakesh Mohan Committee during his first tenure as the Railway Minister. He stated a number of times that the Railways would not be privatised. Then, when the Railways has not accepted the recommendations of the Rakesh Mohan Committee, what was the necessity of setting up of that Committee? There are a number of Committees. I am not asking for a reply just now. You may reply after the debate would be over.

As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, I am not going to ask anything new. On the other hand I request you to implement what all you have already given sanction. The sanctioned schemes are there. What happened to the on-going schemes? To be very plain with you not much has been done.. To illustrate a little, Rameshwaram is the most important pilgrim centre for the people throughout the length and breadth of the country. Everyone in the North likes to come and visit Rameshwaram. But unfortunately none of the people from any part of the country can afford to come to Rameshwaram by broad gauge line. You have rightly taken up the conversion from Chennai to Rameshwaram into broad gauge. But that has gone upto Tiruchirapalli only and the section from Tiruchirapalli to Rameshwaram is still undone. None can go to Rameshwaram by broad gauge. The section from Tiruchirapalli to Manamadurai and then to Rameshwaram is totally de-linked. Similarly the conversion of section from Madurai to Rameshwaram -Manamadurai into Broad gague is yet to be done. It has been taken as one of your schemes. It is a sanctioned scheme. But, unfortunately, what we are given to understand is that much less amount is being released. As against an amount of Rs. 235 crore for one stretch and Rs. 170 crore for another stretch, you are hardly giving Rs. 7 crore or Rs. 8 crore per year. What can be done with this?

I would request the Railway Minister to kindly take steps to functionalise the Railway Zonal Headquarters there at Bhubaneswar quickly. He has to take personal interest; otherwise Orissa will not get its due share from the Railway Ministry as it has been neglected till today.
My next point is about the gauge conversion. Orissa has only two narrow- gauge lines; one is from Nowpara to Guntur with a length of 90 kms. out of which 54 kms. is in Orissa and 36 kms. is in Andhra Pradesh; and another line is from Rupsa to Bangiriposi with a length of 89 kms. So, we do have in Orissa altogether 133 kms. of narrow-gauge line. In the Eighth Five Year Plan the Railway Ministry converted into broad-gauge about 7000 kms. of railway line, but not a single kilometre of narrow-gauge line in Orissa has been converted into broad-gauge. Similarly, during the Ninth Plan period more than 2000 kms. of railway line have been converted into broad-gauge and again not a single kilometre of narrow-gauge line has been converted into broad-gauge in Orissa. If it was not negligence what else can it be termed?
SHRI NITISH KUMAR: Sir, I cannot respond to each and every thing. … (Interruptions)
SHRI K.H. MUNIYAPPA : Sir, just one minute. The work is halfway done. This is not a new one. I want a clarification on this and I would request the hon. Minister to kindly see that the work is completed early.
I would request the hon. Railway Minister to complete the gauge conversion work on this Yelahanka-Bangarapet line, which was started earlier.
श्री भेरूलाल मीणा (सलूम्बर): उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, मेरा निवेदन है कि उदयपुर से चित्तौड़ को जोड़ने के लिए सात साल हो गए हैं, काम चालू हो गया लेकिन उस पर अभी तक कुछ नहीं हुआ। अजमेर, भीलवाड़ा, चित्तौड़ और उदयपुर का काम कब तक पूरा हो जाएगा? …( व्यवधान)