North-East states for Myanmar-India gas pipeline

Aizawl, Nov 22: North-East state governments have expressed their willingness for the proposed gas pipeline from Myanmar routed through the region for economic development of the region.

State Commerce and Industry Minister Aicchinga today said the concerned ministers of NE states are of the opinion that re-routing the pipeline through the north-eastern states will bring development and prosperity to the region.

All the NE commerce ministers had discussed the proposed gas-pipeline issue with union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora in New Delhi recently.

He said India, which has been facing competition from China for gas from Myanmar, has presented eight alternative routes including one via the north-east that excluded Bangladesh for the 3-billion dollar pipeline.

GAIL is the preferred buyer of gas from Block A-1 in Myanmar, too is for bringing the pipeline via the NE and it proposes routing the pipeline through the states of Mizoram, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal, he said.

The trunk pipeline for importing gas from Myanmar's Sitwe area will be connected to the proposed Jagdishpur-Haldia gas pipeline at Gaya in Bihar passing through Aizwal, Guwahati, Jalpaiguri and Siliguri.

The proposal for the north-east route was mooted after the Bangladesh government refused to allow its territory for the project, which will also have the provision to transport gas from developing gas fields in Tripura and Assam.

UNI