Patna,(BiharTimes): State-owned Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) on Wednesday inked an agreement for development of natural gas infrastructure and city gas network in Bihar.

It signed a Gas Cooperation Agreement (GCA) with the Department of Industries, government of Bihar.
According to a statement issued by the company the GCA was signed in the presence of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and GAIL Chairman and Managing Director B C Tripathi.

The statement said that GAIL and the Bihar government would evaluate the feasibility for cooperation for the development of the use of eco-friendly fuel, especially natural gas, in the state as well as development of natural gas distribution and city gas infrastructure in identified urban areas and cities after obtaining due authorisation from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board.

GAIL is laying a 2,050 kilometre gas pipeline from Haldia in West Bengal to Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh. About 621 km of this length would pass through 14 districts of Bihar.

The mainline will cover Kaimur, Rohtas, Aurangabad and Gaya districts while another 10 districts will be covered by spur lines.

It would explore the possibility of selling CNG to automobile and piped natural gas to households in major towns of Bihar along this pipeline route.