Question : K-Rail (Silver Line) Project

(a) whether the Government of Kerala has submitted the K-Rail (Silver Line) project for approval and permission and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Kerala Government has also furnished any environmental study report and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government of Kerala has sought permission from the Union Government for foreign loan for K-Rail project and if so, the total amount and the details thereof;

(d) whether the Union Government has examined the project in detail and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Union Government has given permission/NOC to Government of Kerala for the start of the work of K-Rail;

(f) if so, the details thereof and the copy of the orders issued;

(g) whether it has come to the notice of the Government that protest against K-Rail are going on in Kerala; and

(h) if so, the action taken to stop the project?

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)


(a) to (h) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (h) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 13 BY SHRI N. K. PREMACHANDRAN AND SHRI K. MURALEEDHARAN TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 02.02.2022 REGARDING K-RAIL (SILVER LINE) PROJECT.

Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Semi High Speed Rail Project (530.6 Km) from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod has been submitted by Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), a Joint Venture company of State Govt. of Kerala (51%) and Ministry of Railways (49%) to the Ministry for approval. Cost of the project has been assessed as ?63,941 Cr. by KRDCL. Further, consideration of the project depends upon techno-economic viability of the project.
No, Sir.
Application for availing financing to the tune of ?33,700 Cr from various multilateral funding agencies (JICA, ADB, AII and KfW) has been submitted to Department of Economic Affairs by KRDCL.
State Government of Kerala has approved the DPR and forwarded to Railway Board for obtaining sanction of Central Government.
& (f) No, Sir. DPR is under examination by Ministry of Railways. Sufficient details for technical feasibility are not available in the DPR. Therefore, KRDCL has been advised to provide detailed technical documents such as alignment plan, particulars of railway land and private land, crossings over existing railway network, duly depicting affected railway asset through Zonal Railway for detailed examination of the project and to arrive at conclusion about feasibility of project. Financial viability will also be examined and firmed up after finalisation of technical parameters.
(g) & (h) Yes, Sir. Moreover, Govt. of Kerala has issued 4(1) notification for conducting Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Study report. The SIA Study report will bring out the extent of impact on public in general. Project is not yet sanctioned. Consideration of the project will depend upon techno-economic viability of the project.

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