Hyderabad, August 05: Lok Satta Party president Jayaprakash Narayan today demanded that the State Government build a gas grid on a war-footing to utilise the gas being produced in the Krishna-Godavari (K-G) Basin.
“Successive governments in the State miserably failed to anticipate gas reserves in the State and take measures for their tapping and utilisation.
In contrast, the Gujarat Government not only joined the exploration efforts but also built a gas grid in anticipation of supplies,’’ Narayan said.
Maintaining that the centre and the State took a correct stand, the former bureaucrat pointed out that the gas being tapped in the K-G basin should be allocated to the fertiliser, power and domestic sectors in that order for sound economic reasons. “The Union Government is expected to spend Rs 60,000 crore on fertiliser subsidy during the current financial year.
The subsidy burden will go down if fertiliser production and power generation could be made at a cheaper cost with gas utilisation.
As a result, State Governments can bring down their subsidy on power to agriculture and other sectors.’’ The Lok Satta president said that the demand for the lion’s share of gas should go to the State in which it is produced is rooted in sound economics and robust common sense. Demanding that the Andhra Pradesh Government build the gas grid in two years, shedding its years of criminal negligence, he said the gas grid should be constructed in such a way that all present and potential industrial hubs would be covered.
“The Gujarat Government built the gas grid with foresight and in wisdom. In contrast, we are fighting and shouting in the Assembly day in and day out ignoring all the important issues that have a bearing on the lives of 8.5 crore people,’’ he regretted.
–Agencies–