Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) will establish a City Gas Distribution (CGD) network in Patna and Gaya during the first phase of its Rs 10,000 crore Haldia - Jagdishpur 'energy highway' gas pipeline project.
Among other cities, Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur would be given priority for the CGD network and the pipeline was expected to benefit around 40 per cent population of the state.
This information was disclosed today at a meeting of the Joint Coordination Group (JCG) of GAIL and state Industries Department on expediting CGD projects in Bihar, which was attended by Industries Department Principal Secretary Navin Verma and GAIL Director (Marketing) Prabhat Singh.
"The CGD network will be launched in Patna and Gaya during the first stage of the gas pipeline project. Among other cities, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur will be given priority. Apart from households and transport facilities, gas will also be supplied to fertiliser, electricity, steel and other big, medium and small industries," said GAIL officials.
GAIL officials also said the CGD network would be completed in a phase-wise manner after estimating the demand and technical - economical possibilities.
The officials also said GAIL would organise an industrial summit in Patna to publicise the benefits of the use of natural gas in the industries, as well as the dates from which it would be available in the state.
Singh met Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and requested help in finishing the project.
The proposed 2,050 km long Haldia - Jagdishpur pipeline would run through West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh and serve as an 'energy highway' to provide environment-friendly fuel to these states.
Around 620 km length of the pipeline would run through Bihar.
