AGARTALA, February 12 (TIWN): Industry Minister Tapan Chakraborty today replied on the TNGCL issues raised by the opposition bench during the Day 4 assembly session.Tripura Natural Gas Corporation Limited (TNGCL), a joint venture company with GAIL, AGCL and TIDCL planning to set up more Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations under the South and other districts of Tripura. The opposition bench comprised by Basudev Majumder and Gouri Das raised the issue of the notice regarding raising matters of urgent Public importance during “Reference Period”. Minister Tapan Chakroborty today during the Day 4 assembly session said that the Tripura Natural Gas Corporation Limited (TNGCL) had plan to install 3 CNG stations at Khowai, Teliamura and Bishalgarh. However, looking forward to take up the issue of the installation of the CNG stations the TNGCL has recently taken up its drive for the land acquisition at the areas, added Chakraborty.

Besides, within a couple of years next the TNGCL also has plan to set up more CNG stations at Sonamura, Santirbazar, Sabroom, Belonia and other areas. Adding to it Chakraborty mentioned that at present there are at least 5 CNG stations functioning at AD Nagar, Radhanagar, TRTC Complex, Khowerpur and Udaipur. During the year 2014 the Khowerpur and Udaipur stations were made functional.  Besides, to set up single CNG stations the govt. needs to invest Rs. 6 to 8 crore along with the state govt. needs to ensure enough land and other necessary requirements for setting up CNG station, mentioned Minister Tapan Chakraborty.

He said that at present the existing CNG stations across the state that are functioning has its average installed capacity of only 50%, therefore more CNG vehicles can be included at those CNG stations, Chakroborty said.

However later highlighting the number of CNG vehicles running across the state Minister Tapan Chakroborty said that during the year 2009 there were total of 883 CNG vehicles with autorickshaws-788, Light Motor Vehicles (LMV)-65, during the year 2010 out of total 1445 there were 1360 auto rickshaws and 85 Light Motor Vehicles (LMV). During the year 2011, there were 1918 auto rickshaws, 119 LMVs and 30 CNG buses. During the year 2012,, there were 3342 auto rickshaws, 319 LMVs and 30 CNG buses. During the year 2013, there were at least 3742 auto rickshaws, 1010 LMVs with 30 CNG buses, whereas during the year 2014 the figure rests at a total of 6210 with 4260 auto rickshaws, 1920 LMVs and 30 CNG buses.

Later sideling the issue of domestic cooking gas lines, Minister Tapan Chakroborty said that at least 17, 393 families across the capital city Agartala were connected with the cooking gas lines up till January 2015. Whereas recently the TNGCL has 1330 applications with it for the connection of the cooking gas pipeline. Adding to that Minister further mentioned that at present the laying of gas pipeline is under process at Agartala Dhaleshwar and other areas.