The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : MLA seeks State’s share in natural gas

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Friday, Sep 14, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

MLA seeks State’s share in natural gas

K.N. Murali Sankar

Launches 24-hour-long dharna

Chillakallu (Krishna dist.): Demanding allocation of 50 per cent of the natural gas reserves of Krishna-Godavari Basin to the State, Nandigama MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao launched a 24-hour-long dharna in front of the office of the Reliance Petroleum Limited here on Thursday. He demanded that Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy gave an assurance to people on the matter when he visited Nawabpet village near here on Friday.

Accusing the State Government of bowing to the pressures of the Centre and not claiming its right over its legal share on the natural gas, Mr. Rao said that it was necessary for the Union Minister and MPs from the State to take lessons from their counterparts in Tamil Nadu. They were using their good offices to get clearance to their long-pending projects.

Addressing Telugu Desam Party activists, who participated in the dharna, Mr. Rao said that the Chief Minister just wrote 25 letters to the Centre and then kept quiet. “It is a global practice that the local area would be given 50 per cent of the oil and natural gas reserves as its share. But in our State the Central Government is calling all the shots, not even allowing the State Government to fix the prices. Can’t our MPs and Ministers fight for our rightful share?” he asked.

Explaining the benefits of having a share in the natural gas, Mr. Rao said that it would give a boost to the local industries, as there would not be any dearth of electricity. “We can improve the power supply and continue the free power to farm sector scheme forever. Industrial development helps us provide employment to over 20 lakh youth and cooking gas cylinders can be supplied at a rate of Rs. 100 each,” he said. Mr. Rao said that it was unfair on the part of the Central Government to give priority to protect the interests of a private company.

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