AP govt utilises meagre natural gas: IFA

Vijayawada, Jan 20 (UNI) The natural gas produced in Andhra Pradesh (AP) was not being utilised on a large scale and the state government was using less, Confederation of Indian Farmers Association(IFA) Secretary General P Chengal Reddy said today.

Speaking at a meeting on the subject ''natural gas production and its utilisation for the development of Andhra Pradesh'', he said since many decades, the natural gas was being produced in AP and handled by companies like ONGC, Reliance and Gujarat Petro Corporation, among others and alleged that some companies were trying to lift the natural gas produced here to other states.

Among the companies, he said Reliance was one of the private sector companies trying to transport the entire gas through the underground piplelines which passes through East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts.

Mr Reddy said the pipleline was passing through a fertile agricultural and horticultural cropped lands and the farmers of the above areas were already growing mango, oil palm food crops, sugarcane and vegetables, among others.

He said at present each fruit bearing tree was worth several thousands of rupees in value in shape of fruits, fodder, fertiliser, fuel, timber, oxygen and other nutrients to soil enrichment but the compensation value offered by the Reliance was meagre, which was not acceptable.

He alleged that the pipelines were installed in the lands of the farmers for the construction of buildings and setting up of industries, which resulted in the farmers losing their rights to grow deep-rooted plants.

Mr Reddy alleged that the companies were not only coming forward to develop the rural areas but were also not offering job work to the local people.

He alleged that the companies were utilising the natural gas by ignoring the interests of the state.

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