GAIL pipeline project set to steam ahead
The natural gas pipeline project which has been lying dormant for quite some time owing to opposition from people in some parts of the State, is set to get revitalised thanks to a fresh initiative by the government.
The State government has promised full support to the project to lay pipelines from Kochi to Mangalore.
Meet in Kochi
A meeting of stakeholders convened by the government a few days ago in Kochi took stock of the situation and asked Gail India to go ahead with the project.
‘‘Gas pipeline is a dream project of Kerala. It will be more useful than Kochi metro rail or Vizhinjam port projects. The State will gain annually by Rs.1,500 crore once the distribution of gas begins through the pipeline,’’ Chief Secretary Giji Thomson said, hinting at the loss being incurred by the State on account of the inordinate delay of the pipeline project.
A series of official-level meetings held in the past could make little impact on the progress of the proposed project as political parties lacked will to execute the project.
Pandering to the feelings of the people who would have to pave the way for the pipeline project seemed to be the approach of many a political party, eyeing on the votes in the forthcoming elections.
In fact, the project has been lacking steam since the last general elections. While the government made statements asserting its power to execute the project, too little happened on the ground.
The officials who went to the spot had to face hostile crowds, often backed by local political representatives who were more interested in broking peace rather than standing for a project that could help steer the State’s economy forward.
The false notions on the safety of the gas came in handy for the detractors of the project. The propaganda that the natural gas is dangerous is totally baseless, Mr. Thomson said.
The gas pipeline passes through Mumbai and Delhi in areas with much more density of population than Kerala, he said.
Gujarat which started the natural gas project along with Kerala, could commission the project in 2004.
Global tenders
GAIL India has floated global tenders to lay the pipelines and sale of tender documents would start on August 28, a top official of the company told The Hindu. He assured that the project would steer clear of hurdles this time round, thanks to a host of concrete measures being adopted by the State.
A Panchanama of the surveyed areas is one of the effective means being adopted by the officials to thwart disruptive designs of vested interests working against the project.