State clear barriers for fastracking GAIL project

Kolkata: State’s chief secretary B.P. Gopalika on Wednesday held a meeting with Sandeep Kumar Gupta, chairman and managing director, GAIL (India) Ltd at Nabanna for quick clearing of hurdles associated with gas pipeline connection in the state.

According to Nabanna sources, Gupta informed the chief secretary about certain issues associated with the ongoing work for the project in East Burdwan and Hooghly. The chief secretary issued necessary directions from the meeting for clearing the barriers so that the project can be fast tracked.

The pipeline covering several districts in the state laid by GAIL has already reached Durgapur. The pipeline is part of the Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline project coming to West Bengal from Uttar Pradesh via Bihar and Jharkhand. The completion of the pipeline close to Kolkata’s landing point would allow for the expansion of CNG gas stations in the state.

Bengal Gas Company Ltd, the JV company between GAIL and the state, that is entrusted to supply green fuel to Kolkata, is preparing a mother station in Kalyani which is expected to increase CNG supply to the city three times.

Now, the green gas is being brought to Kolkata in tankers from the mother station at Panagarh which takes more than six hours.