The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved eight multitracking projects of the Ministry of Railways in two packages. Together they add about 1,196 km to the existing Indian Railways network and cost roughly ₹20,804 crore.
The projects are planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which focuses on multi-modal connectivity and logistics efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations.
The first package has five projects costing about ₹10,021 crore. They cover 17 districts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana and add about 540 km to the network.
The Ministry said the works will connect about 2,121 villages with a population of about 52 lakh. They also improve rail access to Tirupati, Hogennakkal Falls, Kodaikanal Hills and Yadagirigutta Temple, as well as Mettur Dam, Kolar Gold Fields and Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary.
The second package has three projects costing ₹10,783 crore. They cover 14 districts in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and add about 656 km.
About 4,790 villages with a population of about 56 lakh will be connected. Tourist destinations with better rail links include Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Achanakmar Tiger Reserve and the Taratarini Temple, along with Amarkantak Temple, Khutaghat Dam and the Malhar Archaeological Site.
The southern routes carry coal, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles, food grains, petroleum products and fertilizers. The works will add freight traffic of 47 MTPA (million tonnes per annum). The eastern and central routes carry coal, cement, and iron and steel, and the works there will add 27 MTPA.
The Ministry projects that in the first package oil imports will fall by about 8 crore litres and CO2 emissions by about 42 crore kg, equivalent to planting about 2 crore trees. For the second package, the figures are about 12 crore litres and about 62 crore kg, equivalent to about 2.48 crore trees.
The added line capacity is expected to improve mobility, operational efficiency and service reliability, and to ease congestion on Indian Railways. The projects are meant to allow seamless movement of people, goods and services.
The Ministry said the projects are in line with the Prime Minister's Vision of a New India. It said the aim is to make people of the regions "Atmanirbhar" through comprehensive area development, which it said will improve employment and self-employment opportunities.
Railways is described as an environment-friendly and energy-efficient mode of transport. The Ministry said expanding it is expected to help the country meet its climate goals and reduce logistics costs.
With reference to the eight railway multitracking projects recently approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following information about the two packages of railway projects:
| Package | States covered | Projected fall in CO2 emissions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Southern | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana | About 42 crore kg |
| 2. | Southern | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana | About 62 crore kg |
| 3. | Eastern and central | West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh | About 62 crore kg |
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The eastern and central package is projected to cut oil imports by more litres than the southern package.
Statement-II: The eastern and central package costs more than the southern package.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
