Bangalore, March 8, 2013: The Karnataka government has sought the cooperation of the Union Petroleum ministry to promote Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure, primarily to back transport sector in Bangalore.

In a letter to the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas M Veerappa Moily, Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shetter has said Karnataka is keen to install a CNG infrastructure in Bangalore on a priority basis.

The CM stressed that air pollution level has increased significantly in Bangalore in the last few years. Hence it is important to promote the use of natural gas as a transport fuel. He said the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has carried out only four rounds of bidding for City Gas Distribution (CGD) authorisation since its inception in 2007.

“I am given to understand that so far, only two rounds have been concluded for award of authorization of only 13 cities. It is not known when the PNGRB will put Bangalore for bidding,” he added

He pointed out that Karnataka State Industrial Infrastructure and Development Corporation (KSIIDC) and GAIL have signed a agreement to form a joint venture for distribution of gas to various consumers in the State. Shetter’s letter comes in the backdrop of the state-owned Gas Authority of India Ltd recently commissioning 1,000-kilometre pipeline to transport gas from Dabhol in Maharashtra to Bangalore at an investment of Rs 4,500 crore. The gas supply has been already commenced with Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP), which has its manufacturing facility near Bangalore, starting to procure gas as the first consumer in the state to run its captive power plant.

The proposed CGD project envisages supply of natural gas to public transport buses, industrial areas and commercial establishment and domestic purposes (cooking) through network of pipeline.

JAISHANKAR JAYARAMIAH