New Delhi/Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated three key projects related to the Petroleum sector in Bihar via video conferencing. The projects include the Durgapur-Banka section of the Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur Pipeline Augmentation Project and two LPG Bottling Plants. The projects have been commissioned by Indian Oil and HPCL, PSUs under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. PM Modi praised Nitish Kumar for playing a big role in the development of Bihar.
The Prime Minister said in this period of Corona, once again the petroleum-related infrastructure works like refinery projects, projects related to Exploration or Production, pipelines, City Gas Distribution projects, many such projects have gained momentum.
Prime Minister Modi said the special package announced for Bihar a few years ago, focused much on the state’s infrastructure. The special package given for Bihar had 10 big projects related to petroleum and gas worth Rs 21 thousand crore. Among these today it is the seventh project which is being dedicated to the people of Bihar and also listed the other six projects which had been completed in Bihar earlier.
Inaugurating the Durgapur-Banka section (about 200 km) gas pipeline project, PM lauded the hard work of the engineers and laborers and active support of the state government for completing this project on time, in spite of the challenging terrain.
The Prime Minister said Gas-based industry and petro-connectivity have a direct impact on people’s lives, on their standard of living and also create millions of new employment opportunities.
He said the Bhagiratha effort to connect eastern India with Paradip on the eastern seaboard and Kandla on the western seaboard began under the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Yojana and seven states will be connected through this pipeline, which is about 3000 km long, of which Bihar also has an prominent role. The line from Paradip – Haldia will now be further extended to Patna, Muzaffarpur and the pipeline coming from Kandla which has reached Gorakhpur will also be connected to it.
The Prime Minister said due to these gas pipelines, big bottling plants are being installed in Bihar of which two new Bottling Plants have been launched today in Banka and Champaran. Bihar is creating thousands of new jobs from the laying of this gas pipeline to the new industries based on the energy from the pipeline.
The Prime Minister said migrant labourers have returned back and new employment opportunities have also been created. Even during such a huge global epidemic the country has not stopped especially Bihar has not stopped. The National Infrastructure Pipeline Project worth more than Rs 100 lakh crore is also going to help in increasing economic activity.
