Guwahati, May 24 (IANS) Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) member S. Rath on Thursday said that the plans are afoot to connect the northeastern states with a gas pipeline.
"The project will be executed by a consortium of Indian Oil Corporation, Oil India Limited, Numaligarh Refinery Limited and GAIL. We are expecting that the project will e awarded in the next couple of months and become operational by 2023," he said at the sixth road show for the 9th city gas distribution bidding round here.
Rath said that under the project, 1,500 km pipeline will be laid at a cost of Rs 6,000 crore.
He also said that Assam will be connected with Barauni in Bihar by 721-km gas pipeline by 2021.
"By Urja Ganga project, Guwahati will be connected to the national gas grid by a pipeline. The Haldia-Paradip-Barauni pipeline will connect Guwahati and is likely to be commissioned by 2021 at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore. The project will be executed by GAIL," he added.
PNGRB Chairperson Dinesh K. Sarraf said that gas will be provided to Kamrup(metro) and Kamrup districts, besides Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi.
"Gomati and West Tripura is also part of the scheme," Sarraf said adding that the PNGRB has on offer 86 geographical areas covering 174 districts in 22 states and union territories.
