NABHA, Nov 26 — The Indian Oil Corporation’s newly constructed LPG bottling plant here was dedicated to the Nation today by Mr Ram Naik, Union Minister,Petroleum and Natural gas.

Mr E.Ponnuswamy, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr M.M. Mittal, Minister of Food Supply, and Praliamentary Affairs and Raja Narinder Singh, Minister of Public Health and Civil Aviation, were also present on the occasion.

The second LPG plant in Punjab is spread over an area of 81 acres. It has been set up at a cost of Rs 37 crore. It has a bottling capacity of 88,000 metric tonnes per annum and is fitted with two electronic carousal machines, each with 24 filling guns.

The plant will bottle 2,8000 cylinders per day which will further improve LPG availability in the area. It has the latest fire fighting equipment consisting of an automatic sprinkler system. A green belt is being developed around the plant.

Dedicating the plant to the nation, Mr Naik said his ministry was determined to provide LPG to every household, especially villagers, and the Nabha bottling plant was a concrete step towards this direction.

He praised IOC for setting up plant in a short span. He said in the coming three years, the petroleum network would be expanded to cover every household.

He also said government was planning to introduce LPG in vehicles. Rules regarding this would be finalised by the end of the year. He ruled out any decrease in the prices of LPG, petrol or diesel in view of the increase in crude oil prices at the international level, an oil pool deficit of up to Rs 250 crore per month and devaluation of rupee against the US dollar.

He said his ministry had released 1.27 crore LPG connections this year and Punjab had got 5.61 lakh connections. He said LPG vans would be introduced to despatch cylinders to the interiors. He said the government was determined to look after the kith and kin of slain soldiers and his ministry had established 11 petrol stations and 14 LPG agencies at a cost of Rs 22-Rs 25 lakh each for them.

He said 2893 new LPG agencies would be established in the country, 500 in rural areas. In Punjab 98 agencies would be added to the existing strength of 303. He said 5 lakh connections would be given to Punjab in lieu of kerosene in the first phase.

Mr Ponnuswamy, Raja Narinder Singh and Mr M.M. Mittal spoke. Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, thanked Mr Naik for providing Punjab with the bottling plant and praised the role of IOC in serving the nation, both during war and peace.

He donated Rs 20 lakh to the Municipal Council, Nabha for the development of the city and released the first instalment for Rs 50 lakh for development of the area.

He assured the residents that their demand for a circular road in the city would be met within a week.