Anger in Kashmir as GSPL pipeline plan stalls
After the horrific murder of seven Hindu pilgrims by militants in Kashmir on July 10 who could blame Gujarat State Petronet (GSPL) for hesitating over plans to lay a 750-km pipeline into this volatile state.
But a Jammu & Kashmir government source is angry nonetheless that the Gujarat government's BSE-listed pipeline company has not yet completed even a basic route survey for the long-delayed 750-km pipeline project from Bhatinda in Punjab to Srinagar in the state. "The pipeline was supposed to be ready by July 6, 2014," a J&K government source tells this report.
"Almost three years past the deadline and nothing is moving." Till date GSPL India Gasnet, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up to lay the pipeline by a GSPL-led consortium, has finalised the route and sent out a land acquisition notification for only a 67-km stretch from Chak Devian village in the state's Kathua district to Smailpur in the newly carved out Samba district. But nothing has been done on the 186-km stretch from Smailpur up north to Srinagar.
"GSPL does everything on paper," complains our J&K government source. "Nothing takes place on the ground." He is also angry at GSPL's response last year saying it would first lay pipeline stretches in Punjab and only then begin work in Jammu & Kashmir.
Awarded in 2011, GSPL (52%) partners IOC (26%), BPCL (11%) and HPCL (11%).
