By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Gas Authority of India Ltd(GAIL), a leading PSU under the PNG Ministry headed by Dharmendra Pradhan seems helpless with Naveen Patnaik led BJD Government in Odisha turning a blind eye to Urja Ganga Project in the State spreading over 800 km.
Sources said, GAIL facing tough time in most of western Odisha districts, which sends 6 out of 8 MPs to Lok Sabha for the ruling BJP at Centre.
The development not only shocked Union Minister Pradhan but also put the Saffron Party in hurry, which see better for the Party in 2024 Assembly and Parliamentary polls in eastern India, particularly in Odisha
Sources said, locals in Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Angul are opposing the project.Though permission for laying pipelines on government land was applied in 2017, permissions are not given by the District Authorities, alleged GAIL officials.
GAIL is implementing ‘Urja Ganga’ Project, which is a major gas pipeline project covering more than 770 Kilometers in the State in 13 Districts.
The Maharatna Company of the Government of India is laying Gas Pipeline Infrastructure of Jagadishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra Project and implementing City Gas Distribution Network in Twin Cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
From Dhamra to Angul it is covering 401 Kilometers and from Bokaro to Angul, 367 Kilometers are being covered by GAIL.
Districts of Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Bhadrakh, Kendrapara, Jagatisnghpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Puri are covered by the Gas Pipelines.
While major Industries will be benefitted by the pipeline project, people in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack will be able to get cooking gas in pipe and vehicles will get CNG in a smooth way, thanks to initiative of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Major Steel Makers like SAIL, Essar Steel, Tata Steel, Jindal Stainless , Visa Steel, Aarti Steel Bhusan Power and Steel, Vedanta NALCO and Aditya Aluminium will be benefitted though the Gas Pipeline.
These Industries will be provided with Natural Gas in the pipelines and these investors are expecting early completion of the project.
Similarly Cuttack and Bhubaneswar City Gas Distribution Network will be beneficial for the people to use Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and vehicles will use Compressed Natural Gas(CNG).
