(a) whether the public sector oil companies have given their consent for setting up joint venture projects with the railways;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether any agreement has been reached between the oil companies and the railways in this regard;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the benefits likely to be accrued by the oil companies from the said projects?
MINISTER OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS & PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI MANI SHANKAR AIYAR)
(a) to (e) M/s. Indian Oil Corporation Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Railways to plant Jatropha saplings on land to be provided by Indian Railway. Accordingly, Indian Railways have provided 70 hectares of land to Indian Oil Corporation Limited in Surendra Nagar district of Gujarat. Out of this land, Indian Oil Corporation have utilized an area of 48 hectares and planted 1,10,000 saplings. This pilot project is aimed at generating the base-line scientific data on growth of plants, seeding, yield of the oil seeds, oil from seeds etc.