Hyd-Sec'bad to get piped cooking gas supply by Dec 2012

Other cities like Vijayawada, Rajahmundry and Kakinada are too expected to have the facility by the same time.

Talking to newsmen State Infrastructure and Investments Minister Komatireddi Venkata Reddy said a pilot project to supply piped cooking gas to households in Shamirpet and Kompally mandals on the outskirts of Hyderabad would be launched next month.

Households could get piped cooking gas at Rs 100 for the same quantity that they now get through cylinders at Rs 350.

"Pipelines have been laid for this purpose and the gas supply will begin in January 2011. Bhagyanagar Gas Limited, a joint venture company of Gas Authority of India Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, has bagged the piped gas supply project for Hyderabad-Secunderabad, Vijayawada and Kakinada while Reliance secured the project for Rajahmundry," the Minister said.

Nalgonda, Medak, Khammam and Ranga Reddy districts too would get piped gas supply by 2013. Tenders for the gas project in these districts would be finalised in the next 4-5 months and the work would be completed in two years hence.

He said he would meet officials of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board in New Delhi next week to discuss the tender process.

"Over goal is to ensure piped cooking gas supply to households in 11 districts of the state in the next two years. The remaining 12 districts will get the facility in a phased manner," Komatireddi said.

The Minister, who is also in charge of ports and airports in the state, said development work on the Machilipatnam Port in Krishna district would commence soon. The project has been handed over to Navayuga Engineering Limited last year after Maytas-led consortium could not fulfill the contractual obligation and execute the project.

Komatireddi denied that he was "unhappy" over the allocation of Infrastructure and Investments portfolio in the Kiran Kumar Reddy government.

"The portfolio doesn't make any difference. Of course, some MLAs and my followers may be unhappy with the portfolio but I have no displeasure whatsoever," the Minister said and refuted reports that he offered to quit over the issue.

"It would make sense if I resign over the Telangana statehood issue and not on the portfolio," Komatireddi remarked.