RAM NAIK DISCUSSES MUMBAI CITY
GAS DISTRIBUTION ISSUES WITH
MAHARASHTRA CHIEF MINISTER
Shri Ram Naik, Minister
of Petroleum & natural Gas met Shri Sushil Kumar Shinde, Chief
Minister of Maharashtra at Mumbai today. The Chief Minister agreed
to the request of Shri Ram Naik for permission to Mahanagar Gas
Ltd (MGL) to resume laying of gas pipelines in Mumbai. The issues
of fiscal concession by the State Government for 5% Ethanol blended
supply and the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee
on Pricing Structure for various categories of gas consumers in
Mumbai, were also raised by Sri Naik. The Chief Minister agreed
to consider the requests positively.
MGL has sought the
permission to commission sixteen CNG outlets by June 2003. These
outlets are ready for commissioning. On the basis of the enquiry
into the fire incident in gas pipeline of MGL, the permission
for laying pipelines had been suspended through a Stay Order by
the Government recently. In view of the Mumbai High Court’s Order,
MGL is to establish the infrastructure for CNG supply quickly.
The Chief Minister also agreed to grant permission to MGL to carry
out corrective measures for safety enhancement on the existing
pipelines as per the Technical Committee’s findings. Further he
directed that permission be given to MGL for installing sectionalising
valves in about 300 places as a safety enhancement measure. For
laying of steel pipeline the Chief Minister directed that proposals
of MGL may be immediately cleared.
On the request of
Shri Ram Naik the Chief Minister also ordered that proposals relating
to handing over of seven plots out of seventeen identified by
MGL may be immediately processed for establishing more CNG outlets.
The Chief Minister
also agreed with Shri Naik that based on the suggested pricing
structure for various categories of gas consumers in Mumbai, State
Government should reconsider the recommendations positively in
the interest of the consumer. This will have the benefit of reduction
in prices to the consumers.
Shri Ram Naik pointing
out the need for the development of the sugar industry and in
particular the interest of the sugarcane farmers of the State,
raised the issue of the waiver of Sales Tax on ethanol used for
blending in petrol, waiver of Export fee of Rs.2000 per KL, State
Excise Administration Fee of Rs.300 per KL, simplification of
the procedure relating to PA-2 and PA-5 licenses and other Excise
procedures. The issue of Storage License Fee waiver for the oil
companies for the ethanol used for blending was also raised by
the Minister.
Maharashtra Chief
Minister agreed to consider all the requests of the Minister of
Petroleum and Natural Gas relating to ethanol used for blending
with petrol.
The meeting was attended
by the Maharashtra Minister of State of Urban Development Shri
Sunil Tatkare and Minister of State for Environment and Industry
Shri Rajesh Tope, senior Secretaries and officials of Government
of Maharashtra and Municipal Commissioner. Senior officials of
the oil industry and of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural
Gas also participated in the meeting.
