Question : ALLOCATION OF GAS TO TTZ

(a) whether the Government has given priority to Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), Agra and Firozabad for supply of gas by Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) to glass industries including those which have not got necessary permission from the State Pollution Control Board;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government against GAIL for supplying gas to the said industries;

(c) whether GAIL is supplying RLNG/spot RLNG in addition to 1.1 MMSCMD APM gas to Agro-Firozabad Industries located in (TTZ) against the order of the Supreme Court passed in writ petition number 13381 of 1984, M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India and others; and

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) & (b): In compliance with the order dated 30.12.1996 of the Supreme Court in the case of M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India, Ministry had allocated 1.1 mmscmd of Administered Price Mechanism (APM) gas to GAIL (India) Ltd./GAIL Gas Ltd. for supplying the same to the industries in TTZ area. There is no specific allocation of domestic gas to individual industry in TTZ area. The individual industries in TTZ obtain statutory clearance/permissions including clearance from District Industries Centre and UP Pollution Control Board. Based on the statutory clearances obtained by individual industries and its verification, GAIL Gas Ltd. connects the individual industries and supplies natural gas to them.

(c) & (d): The order of Supreme Court has not restricted the quantity of natural gas to be supplied to industries in TTZ area. As at that point in time, APM gas was available, the same was allocated to GAIL (India) Ltd./GAIL Gas Ltd. for supplying the same to industries in TTZ area. Subsequently, with the increase in demand of natural gas by industries in TTZ and in order to create a level playing field among industries in TTZ area, Ministry approved the proposal of GAIL Gas Ltd. on 27.6.2012 to supply the natural gas to industries in TTZ area at a uniform pooled price by mixing imported Re- gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) and APM. This decision of Uniform Price Mechanism has been upheld by both the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court.