Annual budget outlay for Railway projects in Gujarat rises over 14 times to Rs 8,332 cr in 10 years

Average length commissioned up 1.4 times to 186 km/year

BILKULONLINE

Ahmedabad, Feb 3: There has been a substantial increase in fund allocation and commensurate commissioning of Railway projects in Gujarat over the last 10 years. Indian Railway’s annual budget outlay for projects falling fully/partly in Gujarat has risen more than 14 times to Rs 8,332 crore in 2023-24 from Rs 589 crore per year in 2009-14 period. Average length of projects commissioned for Gujarat are up 1.41 times to 186 km per year in 2014-23 period as against 132 km per year in 2009-14 period. This information was provided by Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & IT,  Ashwini Vaishnaw, in Rajya Sabha on February 2, 2024 while replying to Railway projects related questions raised by RS MP  Parimal Nathwani.

According to the minister’s statement, as on 01 April, 2023, total 36 Railway infrastructure Projects (6 New Lines, 18 Gauge conversion and 12 Doubling), of total length 3,200 km, costing Rs 30,789 crore falling fully/partly in the state of Gujarat are in planning / approval / construction stages, out of which 735 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of Rs 6,113 crore has been incurred upto March 2023.

Total length commissioned of Railway projects falling fully/partly in the state of Gujarat went up to 1,677 km in the 2014-23 period, while it was 660 km in 2009-14 span of time. Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in fund allocation and commensurate commissioning of projects across Indian Railways.

Nathwani wanted details of pending and ongoing railway projects in the state of Gujarat as well as the estimated cost, period of completion, expenditure incurred thereon and by when the projects are likely to be completed.