The work on the project to draw gas from Gujarat to Srinagar and Jammu will be completed by July 2014. This was apprised in a meeting of high level officers, presided over by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, convened here this morning to review the status of progress on proposed Bhatinda-Jammu-Srinagar Gas Pipeline Project (BJSSPL). Emphasizing early start of work on the project, the Chief Minister directed the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to start laying of pipeline from both Srinagar and Bhatinda simultaneously so that gas could be supplied to both the cities of Jammu and Srinagar at the same time. Omar said that this project possessed greater importance to the State in providing adequate domestic and commercial supply of gas to the consumers on cheaper rates besides creating huge employment for youth of the State. He also directed the Revenue and Law Departments to finalize Draft Bill for Right of Use of land for laying of gas pipelines by the gas company in the State for J&K Legislature for enactment as per the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. Omar said gas company had already been sensitized in this regard and added that the project would also help to utilize gas for generation of power in the State. The gas pipeline will consist of 328 kilometre long main gas trunk from Bhatinda to Srinagar passing through Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Anantnag, Pulwama and Srinagar. There will be hundreds of sub-lines which will supply gas to the consumers at their houses. Omar had already approved the project during a meeting of State officers and the team of Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) led by its Chairman Lalit Mansingh at Srinagar. This was followed by various meetings of officers of PNGRB with the Chief Secretary and other senior officers of the State. The presentations about the pipeline were made by the Board pertaining to the implementation and impact of the project on State’s economy in these meetings. In today’s meeting the Chief Minister received appraisal of the roadmap prepared to start the work on the project and complete it by July 2014 to draw gas from Gujarat to Srinagar and Jammu. Omar also stressed the need for fast tracking the project to ensure its timely completion in July 2014. He said Jammu and Kashmir being the remotest Northern State of India as such had so many disadvantages. “Availability of gas in abundance has been a great challenge before us,” he said adding that supply of gas to the consumers in the State through gas pipeline would be a revolutionary step. The Chief Minister also directed the concerned to ensure proper and up to the mark compensation to the land owners whose land would be used by the company for laying underground gas pipelines. Minister for Rural Development and Law, Ali Mohammed Sagar, Minister for Revenue, Raman Bhalla, Minister for CAPD, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Minister of State for Revenue and Home Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Madhav Lal, Advocate General, Isaq Qadri, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, B B Vyas, Commissioner Secretary Revenue B A Runiyal, Commissioner Secretary CAPD, Mohammed Abbas Dar and other senior officers were present in the meeting.