Morvi gas project commissioned

Gujarat State Petronet Limited (GSPL) will expand its gas grid network across the Saurashtra-Kutch region providing gas supplies to Rajkot, Jafrabad, Pipavav, Bhavnagar, Okha, Mundra and Gandhidham, D J Pandinan, managing director of GSPL has said.

The much-awaited project for which the foundation stone was laid by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in September last year was inaugurated by Pandinan at Morvi today.

Following this, the ceramic players across the triangular zone of Morvi, Dhuva, Wankaner and Thangadh have heaved a sigh of relief as natural gas would be made available to the industry. Consumption of LPG had drastically reduced to 700-850 metric tonnes per month from 7,000-8,500 metric tonnes per month due to rising prices of LPG.

Velji Patel, president of Morvi Ceramic Tiles Manufactures Association, said the project would now allow ceramic players of the region to compete globally, especially with their Chinese counterparts.

The industrial belt comprises at least 225 ceramic flooring tile units and 46 bathroom accessory units. These units produce about 6 lakh square feet of ceramic flooring tiles and 25,000 pieces of bathroom accessories respectively a day.

In the last fiscal, Morvi contributed around Rs 55 crore towards sales tax and Rs 75-80 crore towards central government taxes.

On the occasion, state energy minister Saurabh Dalal announced various projects related to power generation and power distribution.

"The next big wave in this direction is awaited with mega power project to be functional at Mundra (Kutch), Jamnagar, Pipavav and Bhavnagar soon, which will make the state self-reliant as far as its power requirements are concerned."

Meanwhile, chief minister Modi termed the inauguration ceremony as a revolutionary step and said the project would offer better employment opportunities. The project, he said, would also help the ceramic industry save Rs 2 crore per day on fuel.

Modi exhorted ceramic entrepreneurs to create a world-class infrastructure, which would allow the business fraternity to explore areas of research and development, create competitive human resource for the industry and, in turn, strengthen the employment prospectus in surrounding areas.

The chief minister also requested industrialist Odhavji Raghvji Patel of Orpat Group to provide training for 25,000 youth in the age group of 15-35 years in Rajkot district

India accounts for 3.5 per cent of the world's ceramic products at Rs 4,000 crore per annum. Of this, the triangular ceramic zone contributes 70 per cent.