Page 621 - SSB Interview: The Complete Guide, Second Edition

and later to Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.

A lot of the population lives in these states where cooking gas is

scarcely available in the remote areas. An estimated 50,000 households
would get PNG and almost 20,000 vehicles would be able to get CNG

gas per year.

The project is estimated to get completed in 2020, after which people
can get gas supply at their houses itself. It can also give a lot of benefits

by helping the renewal of a number of declining fertiliser industrialised

units and other sectors like Power and Automotive.

In this scheme, not only households but about half a million vehicles may
switch over to CNG mode so that the problem of fuel in the country can be
resolved. Prime Minister Modi also laid the foundation stone for the 120-km-

long Varanasi-Allahabad railway line that will cost approximate `750.66
crore and provide speedy transit for cylinder and worker movements.

Funding

The allocated budget for laying the 1,500-km-long covered cooking gas
pipelines is about `51,000 crore along with gas stations at various areas. The

length of the pipeline will be extended to 2,540-km in the second stage of the
project.

Highlights

The `755-crore Varanasi CGD network will cover 1,535 sq. km. and
cater to a population of nearly 37 lakh.

Two CNG stations have started commercial operations and 18 more will

be set up.

Overall, 20,000 vehicles are expected to switch to CNG in the city.