New Delhi: Prime Minister on Sunday inaugurated a section of the LPG pipeline project and two bottling plants in Bihar through video conferencing.
These projects include the Durgapur-Banka section of the Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur pipeline project and two LPG bottling plants in Banka and Champaran districts. On this occasion, the Prime Minister said that the gas pipeline project will give a boost to fertilizer, power and steel sector industries in Bihar and will also benefit the CNG based clean traffic system and create new employment opportunities.
Bihar Governor Fagu Chauhan, State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were also present on the occasion. The 193-km Durgapur-Banka pipeline section constructed by the public sector company Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is part of the Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur pipeline expansion project. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone on 17 February 2019. The Durgapur-Banka section is an extension of the existing 679 km Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur LPG pipeline to the new LPG bottling plant at Banka.
The pipeline passes through West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. Currently, LPG is dumped in the pipeline of Paradip and Haldia refineries of IOC in this line. After the completion of this entire project, this facility will also be available from Paradip Import Terminal and Barauni Refinery. Apart from this, Modi also dedicated the LOC bottling plant of Banka of IOC to the nation. This project will help in meeting the demand of cooking gas of Bihar and Jharkhand.
The bottling plant has been constructed with an investment of Rs 131.75 crore. The plant will cater to the needs of Bhagalpur, Banka, Jamui, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar districts of Bihar as well as Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Sahibganj and Pakur districts of Jharkhand. At the same time, Modi also inaugurated 1,20,000 tonne per annum LPG bottling plant at Harsiddhi in East Champaran district of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation. It has been constructed at a cost of Rs 136.4 crore. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for this on April 10, 2018. Assembly elections are proposed in Bihar in October-November।
