The dream to get piped cooking gas in households has been finally realized in Jharkhand on Friday with Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda launching the City Gas Distribution under Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Yojna (PMUGY) in the State Capital on Friday.

Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), which is executing the work to lay the pipeline project, organised a mega launching programme of the scheme at Prabhat Tara Ground in the State Capital. Just after launching the, two LCD screened installed were showing the resident of MECON colony Anamika Singh, first recipient of piped gas, lighting her gas stove.

Two Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations in Ranchi, one at Madhuban Vihar, Ormanjhi and another at Khukri were also started on the occasion and the foundation was laid down for construction of GAIL Eastern India office with estimated investment of Rs 75 crore.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion Das said through Ujjwala scheme launched by the Central Government a total of 32 lakh connections with filled cylinders to the women of the State have been granted for providing smoke-free kitchen, now the State Government is going to give facility of second refill of the cylinders today in the State, it will be started from Kolhan Division, two women will get facility of refill at beginning.

“In order to relieve people from gas cylinders, work was started to supply gas from door to door and we have also been able to deliver gas from the pipeline to 3000 households in the State Capital, now gas consumers will not have to visit gas agencies to fill cylinders,” he added.

“The district administration of Ranchi should get help of the women of urban Sakhi Mandal to provide door to door connections and charges collection, through this way the women will get new opportunity of employment,” said Das. The Chief Minister said there is target to provide around 1.50 lakh gas connections under City Gas Distribution

Speaking on the occasion Pradhan said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said on May 18, 2018 while launching the project that the State has given him so much love and affection and he would return with interest. Very soon 250 new CNG stations will be constructed and cooking gas will transported from cities to villages, he added.

“A steel factory will be constructed in Chatra and re-construction of Sindri fertilizer plant is going on which will get fuel through the pipeline project and Bokaro Steel Plant and Jamshedpur Steel Plant will also get fuel through the pipeline project,” said Pradhan.

Speaking on the occasion Munda said it is a big step to empower women in the State because it is work of women to fulfill requirements of kitchens. “In leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi the Country will become superpower in the world very soon as this year in the history of the country the parliament was not adjourned for a single day which shows that works are going on with rapid pace.” he added.    

In his welcome note GAIL CMD, Ashutosh Karnatak said that the project will cover 13 district of the State including Bokaro, Chatra, Dhanbaad, Giridih, Ranchi Khunti, Hazaribag, Ramgarh, Saraikela, Simdega and East Singhbhum.