State has prepared institutional framework for PM Gati Shakti: CM Himanta

'Assam generates 22 pc of revenue from oil sector'

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri said that the petroleum sector would play a crucial role in the north-eastern regions's industrial growth. "In the Northeast, petroleum exploration and production work is being carried out in an area of 25,000 sq km. In future, we intend to expand it to 50,000 sq km," he said.

The Union Minister was addressing a press conference after the North-East Zonal Conference for PM Gati Shakti (PMGS) held in Guwahati today. He further said, "Assam generates 22 per cent of its revenue from the oil and natural gas sector. Other north-eastern states must also focus on this sector." The Union Minister assured that all issues related to oil exploration were being addressed.

He said that oil production from the north-eastern region is expected to increase by 67 per cent from 4.11 MMT in 2020-21 to 6.85 MMT in the next four years. Crude production is expected to go up by 45 per cent in four years and gas production by about 90 per cent in the same period.

Requesting all the State government leaders to lend their support to this transformative mission by way of necessary project clearances and the cooperation of State agencies, Puri said that in order to succeed, this dream needs to be fulfilled by teamwork between State and Central governments in the spirit of cooperative federalism.

Regarding petrol and diesel prices, Puri said that a military operation was going on in Ukraine. "This will definitely affect oil prices all over the world. We cannot rule out the possibility of a hike in petrol and diesel prices. But the Government of India is carefully monitoring the situation. The government will take necessary steps to ensure that fuel prices do not increase," said the Union Minister. He appealed to new players in crude oil production to come to the market as this would help meet the oil shortage which might arise due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Petrol prices are not fixed by government. The international market situation and other factors determine the prices. When petrol prices had increased sharply a couple of months ago, the government had reduced taxes so that the burden on consumers is less. We have to lay thrust on two factors – decreasing dependancy on oil import and exploring avenues for oil production," said Puri. He added that under Gati Shakti national master plan, states will get Rs 1 lakh crore for capital expenditure projects.

Puri said that PM Gati Shakti (PMGS) is a remarkable initiative, as it aims to drive down logistics costs in India by streamlining and integrating infrastructure projects of various Central and State governments. He said that through this breakthrough master plan, major projects across sectors like petroleum, railways, highways, utilities etc. will share a unified vision for accelerated and efficient execution.

Earlier, while speaking at the conference, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Prime Minister has brought about a paradigm shift in the development of the country and PMGS will provide a lot of benefits to the people. He said that the Northeast is connected to the rest of the country through a chicken-neck, and hence this master plan for connectivity is unique in the nature.

Stating that the Government of Assam is fully on board for the scheme, Sarma informed that the State has already prepared an institutional framework for this and has also started capacity building. Assuring full cooperation in preparing the master plans, he said that the steps taken by the State will result in tangible results. The Chief Minister also thanked the Centre for providing funds for capital expenditure. Sarma said that the State is fully cooperating with all the stakeholders to increase E&P activities in the oil and gas sector.

Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Labour & Employment Rameswar Teli said that connectivity through roads, rail, pipelines and waterways is an important requirement of development. He said that PM GatiShakti will bring together all the agencies involved in the supply chain. This will enable the country to grow stronger and reach the world standards. He said that the north-eastern region has always been at the forefront in the area of oil and gas. The exploration, transportation and marketing of oil and gas leads to employment generation as well as skill development. He said that PM Gati Shakti will provide balanced development and states must create more awareness about PM Gati Shakti. They should tap into Information Technology, which will have a greater role in the scheme, he added.

The North-East Zonal Conference for PM Gati Shakti (PMGS) was aimed at bringing together various stakeholders and hasten infrastructure development and adoption of environment-friendly natural gas in the region.

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