Daijiworld Media Network – Moodbidri (SP)

Moodbidri, Apr 17: Union petroleum minister, M Veerappa Moily, said that the union government is planning to provide gas-based power to the coastal districts. “This work is in progress. Hence, the coastal districts do not require another thermal power plant. Once the gas-based power generation begins, the districts here will not face power shortage,” he said.

Speaking to newspersons here on Tuesday April 16, he said that at present, gas is being supplied to Bangalore through gas grid from Dabhol in Maharashtra. He clarified that the process of drawing a gas line from Chitradurga from the above line to Mangalore is in progress. At the same time, the works relating to supply of gas from Kochi to Calicut has been completed, and this project will be extended to Mangalore. The gas will be supplied through the LPG terminal here, he explained.

Moily said that gas-based power projects are preferable as they happen to be eco friendly. When the press persons questioned him about the proposed thermal power project at Niddodi, he refused to field the question, duly clarifying that he does not have any knowledge about this project.

Moily said that the work of widening national highway 169 between Mangalore and Solapur has been affected because of forest department objections. He added that the National Highways Authority of India has been directed to widen the Mangalore-Sringeri road into two or four lane as per regional requirements. “Once the highway widening work is implemented, Moodbidri will get a bypass road,” he said.