BJP legislator accuses Haridwar Gas of 'lying'

Hell hath no fury like a veteran BJP state legislator angry at excuses about unmet piped gas connection targets.

Madan Kaushik, a four-time legislator representing the ruling BJP from Haridwar and a senior minister in the Uttarakhand state government, lost his temper and levelled serious accusations against Haridwar Natural Gas (HNGPL) on September 2. Kaushik was speaking during an online review meeting of city gas operations in the northern Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand chaired by oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Once company officials completed their presentation, Kaushik addressing Pradhan attacked Haridwar Natural Gas, a GAIL-BPCL joint venture. "Manyavar (Respected Sir) these people (HNGPL officials) are telling lies," Kaushik reportedly said.

"The company is talking about 3000 piped gas connections, but in Haridwar, they have not even given three connections." Kaushik said he had made it clear to HNGPL that no permission is needed to carry out pipeline laying work in Haridwar but claimed it is not doing anything.

"I have given them free rein, but they are doing no work," he claimed. Pradhan tried to calm Kaushik down by asking HNGPL boss Ashok Ranjan Chaudhary to meet Kaushik the same evening to sort out all problems.

"Tell me Madan-Ji what else you want from me?" asked Pradhan. Throughout the meeting, GAIL chairman Manoj Jain and director business marketing ES Ranganathan sat with grim faces.