Dahej-Panvel-Dabhol pipeline project has national importance: deora

Surat, May 7 (UNI) Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Murli Deora today said Dhabol power project in neighbouring Maharashtra is of national importance and the Dahej-Panvel-Dhabol pipeline in that sense will make huge contribution to the national power development.

This was stated by Mr Deora after commissioning the first stretch of the pipeline project at Dahej.

The Minister visited the location of the pipeline construction site, which was stopped due to some problems for the last 15 days.

He said the project will connect gas sources and the markets in Gujarat and Maharashtra and will also help in the development of city gas distribution projects along the route.

''The problems were solved and we have resumed the work today,'' Mr Deora told UNI.

However, the Minister did not explain the reasons of the stoppage of the work, saying that he was happy that the problems were solved.

''Decks have been cleared for the resumption of the work on a 12 km stretch of pipeline in Churasiya taluka in Surat with the active support from Gujarat government and Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas,'' he said.

GAIL (India) Limited chairman and managing director U D Choubey said the company is laying 576 km-long Dahej-Panval-Dhabol pipeline at an estimated cost of Rs 3,200 crore, which will carry R-LNG from Ptronet LNG Limited's LNG terminal at Dahej to Dabhol.

Around Rs 100 crore has been disbursed to the farmers of the land as compensation, he added.

UNI