Guwahati: Minister of State (independent) Petroleum & Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said that 1 lakh 30,000 crore investments would take place in the petroleum sector out of which Rs 80,000 crore will be invested in Assam alone by 2030.
The Union Minister said that the investments of Rs 80,000 crore in the petroleum sector would bring about sea-change in development of Assam.
Of the total whopping amount, Rs 6,000 crore will be invested in this current financial year.
“From Rs 4,500 crore the State is getting as revenue from the petroleum sector, we want to raise it in the range of Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000 crore in the next couple of years,” he added.
Pradhan said that the Act East Policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would help to strengthen the petroleum sector in Assam and boost its economy.
“The Ministry of Petroleum will help to augment the economy insofar as enhancement capacity of oil refineries, laying of new pipe lines, replacement of old machineries with latest ones and setting up of new industries are concerned,” he said, adding, “We have set the roadmap in our 2030 Vision Document and have already begun our work in a mission mode to boost the oil sector in the State. Government of India, Government of Assam, OIL, ONGC and other stake holders would partner together to bolster Assam’s economy in a big way.”
The Union Petroleum Minister said that the Ministry has plans on the anvil to expand the combined capacity of the Guwahati, Bongaigaon, Digboi and Numaligarh Refineries to 12 mmt per annum from the present 7 mmt per annum.
Pradhan said mapping has been carried out and plans are afoot to increase the consumption of liquefied petroleum products and to increase the per capita consumption of power.
He disclosed that NRL has started sending oil through pipeline to Bangladesh and plans are on the pipeline to make Assam the ‘hub of petroleum products’ by connecting it with Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and South East Asian countries. “Assam can meet the petroleum requirements of the neighbouring countries and beyond,” he said.
The Minister pointed out that additional 5,000 km pipeline network would be laid which would help to boost the production of crude oil, LPG and natural gas.
Pradhan said that crude oil would be brought from Nigeria through pipelines to increase the production capacity of the oil refineries in Assam.
He requested the Government of Assam not to levy entry tax on imported crude with a view to ‘increase the volume of imported crude oil’.
The Union Minister said that under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, 29 lakh BPL women will be provided LPG connections in Assam.
Pradhan said the scheme will be launched at Majuli, Chief Minister’s constituency soon.
