Gandhinagar, 19 August 2012

Union petroleum minister RPN Singh today in his media address at Gujarat Congress headquarter in Ahmedabad said that an ad campaign on injustice to Gujarat in gas allocation is lie. In last five years 2120 petrol pumps are approved. 21% A.P.M(cheaper gas) has been allotted to Gujarat, 17% to Maharashtra, 8 to Delhi and 8% to Anhdra Pradesh through GAIL. This proves that Gujarat gets highest gas compare to other states. Similarly Gujarat gets 27% of total market gas while Maharashtra gets 15%, Delhi 8% and Andhra Pradesh 8%. Thus Gujarat gets this type of gas in highest quantity too.

The minister said that Gujarat was allotted highest 63.25 MMSCMD gas in 2010-11 while Maharashtra 25.59, Uttar Pradesh 24.09, Andhra Pradesh 16.78, Delhi 6.77. Even in this criteria, Gujarat gets 40% of total gas. Similarly in 2011-12 Gujarat was supplied 51.30 MMSCMD, Maharashtra 24.61, Uttar Pradesh 24.30, Andhrra 15.75, Delhi 8.40 MMSCMD gas. Thus Gujarat was supplied maximum 33.42 gas.

The domestic gas allocation to Gujarat in 20101-11 was highest 39.02% while in 2011-12 it was highest 33%. The centre provides highest gas to Gujarat. Gujarat has more than 50% CNG pumps.

RPN Singh said when Rajiv Gandhi was PM, Gujarat was provided petroleum complex worth Rs 3500 crore.

He said Gujaat has 13 gas bottling plants. One more such plant would be started in Kandla. At Bhavnagar and Gandhar bottling two shifts will be started instead of one so far as bottling is concerned.

Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia said that 24 years back when domestic gas was supplied to Vadodara, Bharuch and Ankleshwar, today’s Chief Minister was working in State Transport Corporation’s canteen. Two worldclass refineries were set up in Gujarat before Mr. Modi’s arrival in Gandhinagar. Leader of opposition Shaktisinh Gohil too joined the conversation and criticized the TV ad campaign against centre on the issue of gas.

What union minister skipped

The union minister and Gujarat Congress leaders smartly skipped the issue of gas price. Today morning the minister of state in Gujarat clearly said that Gujarat government’s problem with centre on gas is about gas prices. “We are not talking about the amount of gas at present, but about rates of gas which are cheaper in Mumbai and Delhi, but costlier in Ahmedabad. This is because centre supplies gas to Gujarat at higher prices, while to Delhi and Mumbai it supplies gas at cheaper prices,” Gujarat minister said.

In his statement the union minister clearly skipped the “gas price” issue and diverted whole issue to the volume of gas allocated to Gujarat.

It should be mentioned that the Gujarat High Court has in its recent verdict asked central govt to supply gas to Ahmedabad on same rate as Delhi and Mumbai. Gujarat minister has today in a statement asked that why centre is not implementing the Gujarat HC verdict, and why Gujarat Congress leaders are silent on this issue? If centre follows the verdict, the result could be 30% cut in gas price in Ahmedabad, the minister said.

It should be mentioned that in Delhi, CNG costs Rs 38-40 per kg and Rs 34-35 kg in Mumbai, but in Ahmedabad the price per kg is Rs 53. Gujarat is largely dependent on imported expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) due to lack of domestic gas allocation. Gujara accounts for one third of India’s 150-160 mmscmd gas demand.

References: Gujarat High Court order , Saurabh Patel’s statement on Gas , Shaktisinh Gohil’s statement on gas