Rajasthan wants all Raageshwari gas for itself
State government officials in Rajasthan are enraged that Cairn India has defied them and applied for PNGRB authorisation for its 194-km gas pipeline from the Raageshwari gas processing terminal in Rajasthan to Palanpur in neighbouring Gujarat.
Rajasthan is firmly opposed to the pipeline as it doesn’t want the gas sold outside state boundaries. Yet the PNGRB called a public hearing on June 8 in Delhi to clear the project.
“Rajasthan’s government is upset Cairn did not ask its approval before going to the PNGRB,” says a source, who attended the public hearing. “They do not want Barmer gas to leave Rajasthan.
” Future demand for gas in Rajasthan will be high. On the priority list for Rajasthan authorities are plans to develop CNG stations in Jaipur, Ajmer, Sikar and Udaipur and on the Jaipur-Ajmer, Jaipur-Kota, Jaipur-Sikar and Kota-Udaipur highways.
“Cairn takes tax benefits from Rajasthan but wants to supply gas to Gujarat!” complains a source in state capital Jaipur. “It’s trying to please Narendra Modi but Rajasthan also has a BJP government.
" When contacted the PNGRB stresses its job is not to decide who gets gas but only whether a pipeline should be laid. In private the PNGRB admits Cairn can't lay a pipeline if Rajasthan refuses RoU permission.
A well-placed source in the Rajasthan state administration confirms on June 17 that it has not yet issued RoU permission for the Cairn pipeline.