New Delhi, Dec 23 (FN Bureau) Initiatives to address energy access, efficiency and security have dominated the activities of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) in 2021 which was highlighted by release of 80.5 lakh LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) 2.0 as on 1 December, 2021, monetisation of 9 discoveries as on November, 2021 and procurement of 302.30 crore litre of ethanol for the ethanol blended petrol programme, a year-long report card of the Ministry said on Thursday.
According to the year-end review of the Ministry, production of oil stands at 19.88 million metric tonnes as on 1 December, 2021 and of gas at 22.77 billion cubic metres. A total of 105 exploration blocks covering an area of 1,56,580 sq km has been awarded till date with Rs 2.75 lakh crore being spent on hydrocarbon infrastructure till 30 November, 2021. Under the PMUY scheme launched in May 2016 to provide 8 crore deposit free connections to poor women and subsequent to the launch of Ujjwala 2.0 in August 2021 to provide additional one crore LPG connections, customers are getting a free first refill and stove with a connection. Issuance of new connection has been made hassle free whereby a customer can get an LPG non-subsidised domestic connection across the counter with submission of requisite proof of ID and self-declaration of address.
The Ministry also reduced a total number of 276 compliances and simplified procedures as part of the special campaign launched in 2021 towards ease of doing business. To promote ethanol blending, enhanced ethanol prices have been announced for Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2020-21. The revised prices are – at Rs 46.66 per litre from C heavy molasses route, at Rs 59.08 per litre from B heavy molasses route, at Rs 63.45 per litre from sugarcane juice sugar/ sugar syrup route, at Rs 52.92 per litre from maize and damaged food grains route and Rs 56.87 per litre from surplus rice available with FCI route. Moreover, the GST rate on biodiesel, which is sold to OMCs for blending with diesel, has been reduced from 12 per cent to 5 per cent by the Ministry of Finance from 1 October, 2021. In view of situation created due to second wave of Covid-19 and shortage of oxygen supply in various states across India, 13 oil PSUs were assigned 110 hospitals for setting up a pressure swing adsorption oxygen plants of adequate capacity under CSR activity. A total of 101 plants are commissioned and others are at later stage of commissioning.