The Centre has issued notifications to acquire land in Bengal for two gas pipeline projects. Land has been sought in Purba Midnapore for the Jagdishpur-Haldia & Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline (JHBDPL) and a spur pipeline, and in Cooch Behar for the Barauni– Guwahati Natural Gas Pipeline (BGPL).

The land owners will get 21 days to file any objection; thereafter GAIL, which will construct the pipeline, will the start the acquisition process. In Purba Midnapore, land would be acquired at Barabari, Chaulkhola, Shovarampur, Barbajitpur and Kismat Shibramnagar.

In Cooch Behar, land would be acquired at the Falimari, Chhat Bara Chowki, Kankanguri, Gopalpur, Nata Bari, Chhoto Simulguri, Dhalpal, Bararangras and Kalarayerkuthi villages. “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in land) Act, 1962 ,(50 of 1962) the government of India hereby declares its intention to acquire the Right of User therein,” the notification said.

The JHBDPL natural gas pipeline will connect the eastern parts of India with the national gas transmission network. The 729km-long Barauni-Guwahati pipeline will link the seven north-eastern states to the national gas grid via JHBDPL.

The project will ensure natural gas to the industrial, commercial, domestic and transport sectors in five states — Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha. The centre has approved viability gap funding in the form of a grant for 40 per cent of the estimated capital cost of Rs 12,940 crore.

The Centre plans to raise the share of natural gas in the energy basket to 15 per cent by 2030, from 6.2 per cent.