2.5 lakh households to get piped gas by 2021

Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said piped

natural gas (PNG) would be provided to 2.5 lakh households in Hyderabad by 2021.

The Union minister was in the city as part of the ‘Vikas Parv’ to mark the completion of two years of

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government at the Centre. Addressing a press conference here,

Pradhan said that the Bhagyanagar Gas Limited (BGL), a joint venture of GAIL (India) Ltd and HPCL,

would connect one lakh new households in Hyderabad to PNG within two years and more than 2.5 lakh

households by 2021.

“The BGL is here for the last 13 years in Hyderabad and it could connect Only 1,140 with PNG. Though

there is a primary network, it could not penetrate due to lack of monitoring and strategy. Now I am

pledging my commitment. I have taken review and found the anomalies. I have a new business plan for

Bhagyanagar Gas. Within next two years, one lakh new households will be connected through PNG,” he

said.

The minister said all preparatory works were completed and tenders were also invited for the pipeline-

laying process, the Union minister said. He said there would be more CNG connections for

transportation sector and added, “We will be putting more CNG facilities in Hyderabad. Soon we will be

connecting the dedicated gas pipeline from Mallavaram (Andhra Pradesh) to Ramagundam.

Our government is committed to revive Ramagundam fertiliser plant and for that we are building the

dedicated pipeline. Soon the pipeline works will start from Ramagundam to Mallavaram which will

facilitate the early commencement of Ramagundam fertiliser unit,” the minister said. The minister said

that Krishna-Godavari Basin would become the hub of oil and gas reserves in the country in the coming

years.

He said, KG Basin is likely to attract new investment of Rs 1 lakh crore. “Along with investments from

ONGC, GSPC and RIL, from this financial year to the next 5-7 financial years, I am visualising new

investment of Rs 1 lakh crore in Krishna-Godavari Basin, creating new employment and setting up

downstream industry,” Pradhan said.

The minister also informed that in the coming three years, the Centre would provide five crore new gas

connections to the BPL families and it would spend Rs 8,000 crore for this. Union Minister of State for

Drinking Water and Sanitation Ram Kripal Yadav said that the government was providing financial

assistance to the drinking water scheme Mission Bhagiratha by the government of Telangana.

NGS INDIA