Pradhan discusses issues of hydrocarbon sector with Assam CM

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan Saturday held discussions with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on issues related to the hydrocarbon sector in the state.

Several oil and gas projects under implementation in the state were also reviewed by them and discussions on further strengthening the oil and gas infrastructure in the state was held, an official release said. Sonowal thanked the union minister for the recent decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sanctioning feedstock subsidy to BCPL for the next 15 years for oil and gas exploration in the state, it said.

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The CCEA had also approved the Viability Gap Funding for setting up of the Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited (IGGL) in the North East region, the release said. Representatives of Assam Petrochemicals Limited (APL) and Assam Hydrocarbon and Energy Company Limited (AHECL) also called on the union minister and submitted separate memoranda outlining demands of both the PSUs.

The APL delegation requested Pradhan for sanction of a subsidy from the central government in line with the feedstock subsidy to BCPL, the release said. The AHECL delegates requested the union minister for approval of 10 per cent participating interest in OIL as a measure to make the PSU more viable, it said. Pradhan underlined the potential of the hydrocarbon sector in the north east and assured to look into the demands of both APL and AHECL.

He also asked the state government to carry out a financial impact study of AHECL and take up the matter with the central government, the release added.

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