Ahead of polls, PM Modi dedicates 3 petroleum sector projects in Bihar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dedicated three petroleum sector projects in Bihar to the nation on Sunday via video conferencing.

"The PM package given for Bihar had 10 big projects related to petroleum and gas. About Rs. 21,000 crore were to be spent on these projects. Today this is the seventh project in which work has been completed, which has been dedicated to the people of Bihar,"  he said.

The projects include the Durgapur-Banka section of the Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur Pipeline Augmentation Project and two Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) Bottling Plants. They have been commissioned by IndianOil and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited," according to an official statement.

The event comes ahead of the scheduled elections in Bihar and after the BJP officially kicked off its campaign in the state. "We are pushing for development in every sector in Bihar and trying to look for a solution so that the states take flight," Modi said. 

Praising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Modi said that under his leadership Bihar has seen development as cities and villages are getting electricity throughout the day, there has been an increase in number of universities, polytechnics and despite a global challenge like coronavirus Bihar did not stop. 

Dedicating to the nation key projects relating to the petroleum sector in Bihar. #UjjwalBihar https://t.co/bCD3c9syJ6

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 13, 2020

The BJP had said that the NDA will fight the elections in Bihar under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, who is looking for a fourth term in the office. 

Modi urged people to maintain social distancing and ensure wearing masks to protect themselves from the deadly infection. 

The LPG Bottling Plant at Banka, is expected to meet the rising demand for LPG in Bihar.

"This Bottling Plant has been built at an investment of around Rs 131.75 crore to serve the districts of Bhagalpur, Banka, Jamui, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar in Bihar, along with the districts of Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Sahibganj and Pakur in Jharkhand, " a statement said.

With the LPG storage capacity of 1800 tonnes and bottling capacity of 40,000 cylinders per day, this plant would generate direct and indirect employment opportunities in the state of Bihar.