In a first major initiative for Varanasi, his Parliamentary constituency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to introduce piped natural gas network in Varanasi.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has already swung into action to ensure that households in the ancient city start getting gas within next two years. Senior officials at the Ministry and the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers have already held a meeting where it has been agreed that the Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL) will lay the Rs.7,600-crore gas pipeline between Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh and Haldia in West Bengal to revive at least three defunct fertilizer plants in the northern States; and in turn, GAIL will get to supply piped gas in at least five cities, including Varanasi.
Though the UPA-II government had already approved proposal to lay the Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline, GAIL was reluctant to commence the project as there were not enough buyers to make the huge investment viable. According to government sources, apart from fertilizer plants, the supply of gas to some major cities in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal would make the project viable for the gas distributor.
The Prime Minister is keen on fast-tracking the gas pipeline project as it would revive the economy and agricultural growth in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal — the four States through which the pipeline would pass, government sources said. It would also help tackle the shortage of gas cylinder supply in the region, thus giving a major boost to the image of the Modi government, they added.
In the initial phase, PNG would be supplied in at least five to six cities, including Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Patna, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Howrah and Durgapur. But Varanasi will always be in the priority list for city gas distribution project, the sources added.
Significantly, Mr. Modi as Chief Minister of Gujarat had envisaged developing a gas grid that would cover all cities in the State. But it did not materialise due to some differences with the Centre.
