By IANS
New Delhi : Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora Wednesday said it is the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) that will take a call on the petrol and diesel prices.
“It is for the cabinet to decide, I cannot comment on a cabinet matter,” Deora told reporters while inaugurating a two-day international conference on gas hydrates organized by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons in Noida, near Delhi.
The minister also said availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) should improve in two-three weeks as the government is importing the cooking fuel to tide over the current shortages.
On his proposed visit to Iran next week and Pakistan before that, Deora said he would discuss pending issues relating to the trilateral gas pipeline.
India is yet to finalise with Iran gas pricing and bilateral commercial issues like gas transportation charges and transit fee with Pakistan, he said.
Earlier during his inaugural address, the minister reiterated the government’s support to the development of gas hydrates.
“The Indian government is committed to the development of this important natural resource,” he said.
Speaking at the conference, Petroleum Secretary M.S. Srinivasan expressed hope that gas hydrates would become a key fuel option over the next 20-25 years as the technology advanced.
According to scientists, gas hydrate, an “ice-like” combination of natural gas and water found in oceans and the polar regions, can be an abundant source of energy.
While gas hydrates holds great potential as an environment-friendly fuel, the technological challenges of realising them remain immense, said industry experts.
At the conference, the results of the first advanced gas exploration programme conducted under the national gas hydrate programme in the Krishna-Godavari basin were released for examination by the scientists.