LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1475
TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2021
CHABAHAR-ZAHEDEN RAILWAYS LINE
1475. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI:
Will the Minister of External Affairs be pleased to state:
(a) whether Chabahar-Zaheden railway line was envisioned to be construted in Iran with India’s partnership and engagement and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government is aware of the construction of the Chabahar-Zaheden railway line by Iran independently and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether this railway line was pivotal to India’s stragetic interest in connecting the country to Afghanistan and Central Asia and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether such construction without India will impact India’s interest in the region, especially in reference to Pakistan’s Gwadar port and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the action plan of the Government in this regard?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]
(a) to (e) During the visit of the Prime Minister to Iran in May 2016, a MoU was signed between IRCON International Limited of India and the Construction, Development of Transport and Infrastructure Company (CDTIC) of Iran for the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan
Railway Project.
The Chabahar-Zahedan Railway project, a joint collaboration between the Governments of India and Iran, is to provide faster connectivity from the Chabahar Port in Iran to Afghanistan and further to Central Asia. It will bolster the existing connectivity by
road from the Chabahar port to Afghanistan.
India and Iran remain engaged on the modalities of the implementation of the Chabahar-Zahedan Railway Project, as well as other developmental projects in Iran.
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