Himachal Pradesh demanded centre government to provide natural gas on subsidized rates for meeting its requirements in power generation, CNG, domestic gas and other industrial purposes.
Indian National Congress Mandi MP Pratibha Singh raised this demand with Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas M. Veerappa Moily during her meeting in New Delhi. She requested Minister to formulate government’s gas pricing policy for providing cheap gas to hilly states to lessen the dependence of local population on forests and provide cheap gas cylinders to common citizens to save the forests and environment of the region.
She said that price of domestic gas should not be left to market forces and adequate gas should be made available to the state Govt at reasonable rates to meet the requirements of the state and said supply price of gas for power generation projects for state should be lower. Pratibha Singh informed that the state Govt government was exploring the possibility of introducing CNG-run buses in plain areas of Una, Kangra and Hamirpur districts and requested the union minister to supply cheap CNG fuel to the state to run clean buses in the lower areas of the state. She requested to provide CNG filling facility at all petrol pumps in lower areas of the state so as to promote use of clean fuel in commercial vehicles
She demanded introduction of CNG-run buses/tempos/taxis in the state on the pattern of National Capital Delhi so as to minimise the transportation cost, and to help control pollution caused by diesel/petrol vehicles. She also requested to supply of piped LPG gas to the Shimla, Mandi, Kullu Manali, Dharamshala and Rampur towns for facilitating the LPG consumers. She also requested to provide adequate supply of kerosene oil to meet the fuel demands of rural areas for domestic use.
The Petroleum Minister appreciated the state government’s plan to introduce CNG buses in Himachal Pradesh and told that the Centre would consider the proposal in positive spirit and direct the authorities to work in time-bound manner on this proposal.
