Namaskar!
Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammad Khan ji, Governor of Karnataka Vajubhai Vala ji, Chief Minister of Kerala Shri Pinarayi Vijayan ji, Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri B.S. Yediyurappa ji, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan ji, Pralhad Joshi ji, V. Muraleedharan ji, MPs, MLAs, brothers and sisters,
It is an honour to dedicate the 450 kilometer Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline to the nation. This is an important day for India, especially for the people of Kerala and Karnataka. These two states are being connected by a natural gas pipeline. I congratulate people of these states. Congratulations also to all the stake-holders for taking steps to providing clean energy infrastructure. The pipeline will have a positive impact on the economic growth of these two states.
Friends,
The Kochi-Mangaluru pipeline is a great example of the fact that no target is impossible if all work together by giving priority to development. The people associated with this project know how difficult it was to complete it in terms of engineering. There were other difficulties also during the project. But this pipeline was completed due to cooperation of our labourers, engineers, farmers and the state governments. It may be just a pipeline, but it is going to play a very big role in accelerating the development of both the states. Why is the country giving so much emphasis on the gas-based economy today? Why work is moving at a rapid pace on One Nation One Gas Grid? Why is the rapid expansion of the gas-based economy a must for a self-reliant India? The benefits of this one pipeline only will make it clear.
First, the pipeline will improve the ease of living for millions of people in both the states. Secondly, this pipeline will reduce the expenses of the poor, middle class and entrepreneurs of both the states. Thirdly, this pipeline will become a medium of city gas distribution system in many cities. Fourthly, this pipeline will form the basis for the development of CNG-based transport systems in many cities. Fifthly, this pipeline will supply energy to Mangalore chemical and fertilizer plant and help in making manure at low cost, helping the farmers. Sixthly, this pipeline will provide clean fuel to Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals. Seventhly, the pipeline will play a major role in reducing pollution in both the states. Eighthly, pollution reduction will have a direct impact on the environment; the reduction in the emission of carbon dioxide through this can be matched by planting millions of trees.
Friends,
The ninth advantage is that the better environment will also improve the health of the people, reducing their expenses on diseases. Tenth, when pollution is low, air will be clean, there will be gas-based systems in the city, more tourists will come, the tourism sector will also benefit and friends, there are two more important benefits of this pipeline which need to be discussed. During the construction of this pipeline, 1.2 million man days of employment have been generated. A new ecosystem of employment and self-employment would develop very fast in Kerala and Karnataka after its commissioning. Every industry, be it fertilizer, petrochemical or power industry will benefit from it and will create employment opportunities.
Friends,
The entire country is going to have another major benefit of this pipeline. When the pipeline starts functioning at full capacity, the country will also be able to save thousands of crores of rupees in foreign exchange. This effort will also help towards the goals of COP-21 on which India is working very seriously.
Friends,
Experts around the world say that in the 21st century, whichever country emphasizes the most on connectivity and clean energy would reach new heights. Whatever front you look at today, highway connectivity, railway connectivity, Metro connectivity, air connectivity, water connectivity, digital connectivity, or gas connectivity, the work that is happening in India now has never happened as much as ever before in all areas. As an Indian, it is the privilege for all of us that we are witnessing it with our own eyes; we are all part of this new movement of development.
Brothers and sisters,
In the last century, the speed with which India progressed has its own reasons. I don't want to go into the details. But one thing for sure is that today's young India, an impatient India which wants to overshadow the world, can no longer move slowly. Therefore, over the years, the nation has also increased speed, scale, as well as scope.
Friends,
The best thing about the new generation of India is that it evaluates things on the basis of facts. And it also analyses its success and failure comparatively. It accepts every single thing based on logic and fact. Many arguments and facts are also very important for the work that is being done on the gas-based economy in India.
Friends,
The first inter-state natural gas pipeline in our country was commissioned in 1987. Thereafter, India built a 15,000 km natural gas pipeline by 2014, i.e., in 27 years. Today, more than 16,000 kilometres of new gas pipelines are being laid in the east-west-north-south, across the country. The work is going to be completed in the next 4-6 years. You can imagine, we are aiming to do more than the work that has happened in 27 years and that too in half the time.
Friends,
Similarly, there is another example of CNG stations. The first CNG station started in our country around 1992. In the next 22 years till 2014, the number of CNG stations in our country was not more than 900. While close to 1500 new CNG stations have been set up in the last six years. Now, the government is working on the target to take the number of CNG stations across the country to 10,000. The pipeline commissioned now will also help in opening 700 CNG stations in several cities of Kerala and Karnataka.
Friends,
Another interesting figure is regarding PNG connections, the piped gas that is delivered to the kitchens. There were only 2.5 million PNG connections in our country till 2014. Today, more than 7.2 million households in the country are accessing piped gas. More than 2.1 million more people will be able to avail PNG facility from Kochi-Bengaluru pipeline. Brothers and sisters, we all know what has been the status of LPG coverage in India for a long time. There were 14 crore LPG connections in the country till 2014 and the same number of new connections has been provided in the last six years. More than 8 crore poor families in the country are availing the cooking gas due to the scheme like Ujjwala Yojana and it has also strengthened the LPG infrastructure across the country. Friends, this was a major reason why there was never a shortage of cooking gas in the country during the Corona period. We were able to provide about 12 crore free cylinders to the poorest of the poor even in that difficult time.
Friends,
These efforts of the government have had another impact on the work being done so fast. Not much is talked about it. Remember, the long queues that used to be there for kerosene. The state governments would write letters to the Government of India to increase the quota of kerosene. There was always tension between the Centre and the states for the delivery of kerosene. Today, when the cooking gas is easily available in the kitchens, the shortage of kerosene has also decreased. Today, many states and union territories of the country have declared themselves kerosene free.
Friends,
Our government believes in an integrated approach for energy planning. Our energy agenda is all-inclusive. Since 2014, we have brought in various reforms across the oil and gas sector. These reforms cover exploration and production, natural gas, marketing and distribution. We plan to achieve 'One Nation One Gas Grid.' We also want to shift to a gas-based economy. The use of natural gas has several environmental benefits. The government is taking policy initiatives to increase the share of natural gas in India's energy basket from 6 percent to 15 percent. Crores of rupees would be invested in the oil and gas sector in this decade itself. Dedication of this Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline of GAIL is part of our journey to move towards One Nation One Gas Grid. Clean energy is important for a better future. This pipeline will help improve clean energy access. Our government is also making many efforts in other sectors. Take for example the Swachh Bharat movement, the efforts to increase LED bulbs or electric mobility.
Friends,
We are endeavoring to prepare the country for future needs, future energy needs from today itself. So, on the one hand, the country is focusing on natural gas, on the other hand, the country is also diversifying its energy resources. Recently, the work on the world's largest renewable energy plant has started in Gujarat. Similarly, bio-fuels are being worked out on a very large scale in the country today. The production of ethanol either through sugarcane or other agro products is being taken up seriously. In the next 10 years, blending ethanol in petrol has been targeted to be up to 20 per cent. Not only that the electric mobility sector, the infrastructure associated with it, is also being given a lot of incentives. Our government is working with full commitment to ensure adequate, cheap, pollution-free fuel, electricity for every countryman.
Brothers and sisters,
The country's balanced and rapid development is also clearly reflected in the development of our coastal region. A comprehensive plan is being worked out for the development of a blue economy in Kerala, Karnataka, or any state of South India, which is adjacent to the sea. The blue economy is going to be a very big source of self-reliant India. Our ports or coastal roads are being connected through other means. We have a special focus on multimodal connectivity. Our coastal region is also becoming a model of ease of living. Plans are afoot to make the ease of doing business the best.
Brothers and sisters,
Our farmers and fishermen form a large chunk of population on the seashore. All these colleagues are not only dependent on marine wealth, but also very big protectors of it. Therefore, the security and prosperity of the entire coastal ecosystem is vital. In the last several years, many meaningful steps have been taken. Whether it is the much needed help to fishermen for deep sea fishing, or the creation of a separate department of fisheries, or provision of Kisan Credit Card to the colleagues associated with the fisheries for cheaper loans, all these are helping the marginal fishermen also. The 20,000 crore rupee Matsya Sampada Yojana was launched in the country a few months ago. It is going to directly benefit lakhs of fishermen of Kerala and Karnataka. Today, we are moving fast in fish-related exports and also all necessary steps are being taken to make India a quality processed seafood hub. The demand for seaweed is increasing in the world and India can play an important role in fulfilling it. The more incentives the farmers get for seaweed farming, the faster we will move forward in this area as well.
If we work unitedly in a dedicated manner, only then will we be able to achieve every national goal quickly. Once again, I congratulate all the citizens of Kerala and Karnataka and all the dignitaries involved in this work for the Kochi-Mangalore gas pipeline.
Thanks!
