Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL) to strengthen its gas grid network and increase its capacity and reach to transport gas to neighbouring states and countries. He made this call while taking part in the diamond jubilee celebration of AGCL at Duliajan in Dibrugarh district on April 3.
Sarma also called upon AGCL to enter into the business of setting up electric vehicle charging stations in the state. He said that AGCL should venture into tapping energy generated from electricity other than energy produced from fossil fuels in view of the growing importance of innovation and diversification in today’s business world.
Underlining the contributions of AGCL in the industrial landscape of the state during the last six decades, the chief minister congratulated its past and present executives and officials and paid tributes to those whose vision and initiatives were instrumental in setting up this industry. He also recalled the invaluable contributions of noted technocrat and engineer Debendra Nath Acharya who played a crucial role in the consolidation of AGCL during its fledgling stage.
Stating that AGCL has emerged as a reliable and technically sound industry in terms of supply and distribution of natural gas, the CM said that it has become a notable company in supplying natural gas to the vast area covering various natural gas-based industries in upper Assam.
“Assam gas company has played a major role in tea production by providing gas in about 420 tea gardens and tea factories located in districts like Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat. In addition, the use of natural gas supplied by AGCL at power sector industries has also played an important role in the generation of environment friendly energy in the state.”
Happy to take part in diamond jubilee celebrations of Assam Gas Company Ltd, Duliajan, which has contributed immensely towards Assam’s industrialisation in last 60 years.
I also paid tributes to those who initiated setting up the company, especially Debendra Nath Acharya. pic.twitter.com/tqvHADUWfM
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 3, 2022
Sarma also complimented AGCL for its ability to reach more than 42,000 domestic consumers as well as about 1,200 commercial establishments in urban and rural areas in almost all districts of upper Assam. Sarma lauded AGCL for its recent success in winning a bid for building city gas distribution (CGD) network jointly with Oil India Limited in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Darrang, Udalguri, Sonitpur and Biswanath districts on the north bank of Brahmaputra as well as several districts of Tripura.
Further highlighting the “Hydrocarbon Vision-2030” of the government of India, the CM said that Assam and the Northeast have immense potential in the hydrocarbon sector. The possibility of hydrocarbon in northeast India can be gauged from the fact that the region has a large number of hydrocarbon reserves and with its proper use, the region can script a spectacular growth narrative, he said.
