Tripura ONGC rapped

Agartala, June 29: The Tripura unit of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and the state government appeared to be on a collision course with industries minister Jiten Chowdhury launching a thinly-veiled attack on the corporation for its failure to increase the production of natural gas.

“The natural gas being produced in the state is not enough to meet the requirements for upcoming projects and new industries. We have approached the Centre to raise the investment, manpower and infrastructure for increased production,” said Chowdhury, on the concluding day of the budget session on Friday.

Replying to a call-attention motion, the minister said talks were on with the ONGC as the demand for natural gas had registered a steep rise.

He said at a high-level meeting held in 1997, the ONGC authorities had assured the government that the production of natural gas would rise from 4.5 million cubic metres to 8 million cubic metres daily by the end of the Tenth Five Year Plan in March 2007.

“But subsequently, the ONGC authorities had presented statistics showing a decrease in the production,” said Chowdhury.

The ONGC authorities had informed the state government in February last year that it was not even in a position to fully supply the 1.78 cubic metres of gas allotted by the Union petroleum ministry to different projects in Tripura.

The authorities also said they would be able to maintain the supply of 1.5 cubic metres of natural gas to the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL).

“Recently, the ONGC authorities have told us that by 2012-2013 they would be able to raise the production of natural gas to keep the ONGC’s Palatana thermal power project, Neepco’s Monarchak thermal project and the Rookhia and Barmura thermal plants well supplied,” said Chowdhury.

He told the House that at present, ONGC was carrying out explorations on 6,691 square km of land and GAIL is exploring 1,680 square km in collaboration with Jubilant Oil and Gas in the state.

“Unless the exploration ends on a successful note, the supply will not improve,” he added.
Chowdhury said the Union ministry of oil and natural gas generally determined the price of gas but in Tripura, ONGC had set four separate rates.

“We have brought this to the notice of the Union ministry of oil and natural gas and requested for a price revision, considering the socio-economic position of the northeastern states,” he said.
He added that the state government was awaiting a positive response from the Union ministry.

source: telegraph india