Centre approved145 projects: MP

The Union government has sanctioned 145 projects with an estimated cost of Rs 5.65 lakh crore. These include 78 Greenfield projects worth Rs 2.84 lakh crore and 67 Brownfield projects costing Rs 2.81 lakh crore, currently under progress, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri announced.
Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar, in a statement on Thursday, revealed that he had raised a question during the Winter Session of Parliament about guidelines for establishing Greenfield and Brownfield projects by oil and natural gas companies. He sought details on permissions required and measures taken to identify violations. In a written reply, the Minister stated that respective oil and gas company boards decide on such projects, streamlining the government’s role. Depending on the project’s nature, clearances like environmental, forest, Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ), wildlife approvals, land acquisition, and safety permissions are mandatory.
Since 2014, 379 projects costing Rs 100 crore or more, with a cumulative expenditure of Rs 4.86 lakh crore, have been completed. This includes 225 Greenfield projects worth Rs 2.52 lakh crore and 154 Brownfield projects costing Rs 2.34 lakh crore. The Minister added that a robust online monitoring system has been implemented to track project progress by oil and gas CPSEs.