(TH)
With the focus of the government shifting to creating a gas-based economy, getting more players into the gas infrastructure business and ending any “monopoly” have emerged as a key prerequisite. In this backdrop, the government has nudged the state-owned GAIL (India) to consider creating an independent company for its infrastructure business.
“There is no monopoly…There are other players also in the pipeline infrastructure business today. Still, we need to be more transparent. We have advised GAIL to spin off its infrastructure business into a separate company. The Board of the company will take a call,” Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas.
According to the buzz in the power corridors, the Union Cabinet will take a final call on such a proposal. GAIL, which essentially started as a gas transmission and marketing firm, has slowly but steadily expanded into the petrochemical business besides entering the exploration and production sector. Of the over 16,000- km-long pipeline network that currently exists in the country, more than two-third (almost 12,000 km) is owned by GAIL.
