New Delhi, Aug 05: Government will take up the issue of decontrol of gas price at the time of framing a long-term gas pricing policy, Petroleum Minister Ram Naik informed the Rajya Sabha today. He said during the Question Hour that under the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) contracts, producers were presently free to sell gas at market price in accordance with contractual terms.
Under production sharing contracts (PSCs) finalised earlier with a number of companies, they are free to sell gas while government has right to buy it directly or through a nominee at a price mentioned in the respective PSCs, he said.
Naik said the impact of gas pricing on power and fertiliser sectors would be clear once the long-term policy was decided.
He informed members that a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission K C Pant has considered the question of gas pricing.
Government will take a view on the recommendations made by the GoM and decide the matter, he added.
Water: 67 major and 130 medium projects are planned to be taken up during the 10th plan for water utilisation, Water Resources Minister Arjun Charan Sethi said.
He said it was expected that 103 major and 240 medium projects, including those spilling over from the previous plans, might be completed during the 10th Plan.
A project for augmenting drinking water and sanitation facilities in rural areas of 26 districts of Maharashtra at an estimated cost of 268.65 million US dollars has been finalised recently with World Bank assistance, he said.
Bureau Report