India should become energy independent by 2030: Veerappa Moily

BANGALORE: Stressing the need to step up production of fuel in the country, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily today said India should become energy independent by 2030.

"Expert Vijay Kelkar is preparing a road map. According to it, by 2020 our imports will go down by 50 per cent, by 2025 it should go down by 75 per cent and by 2030 our country should become energy independent and it is possible," he said

The minister spoke here at an event to launch 5 kg non-subsidised cylinder and implementation of inter-company LPG portability scheme here.

"We need to produce, either you produce oil or perish; ....only when we start producing oil and natural gas in our own country, we will have the right to have a say on its prices," he added.

Stating that we have oil and natural gas available in the country and there is only need for us to makeup our mind to explore it, Moily said "first we must mine your mind, only then you can mine the oil; but our mindset is such that we are suspicious about every initiative."

He said: "our refineries are best and responding in a big way." "There is availability of oil and natural gas in Barmer of Rajasthan, we are setting up a refinery of 9 million metric tone capacity with the help of Hindustan Petroleum."

Earlier, he inaugurated two new consumer initiatives which include 5 kg LPG cylinders at market price with minimal documentation through company owned retail outlets ( petrol stations).

"The initiative allows sale of 5 kg cylinders at market price with merely any proof of identity through company owned retail outlets to attend to demand of consumers who don't have proper proof of address," Moily said.

According to ministry officials- sale of 5 kg cylinders will be done (equipment + product) at non domestic rates with or without regulator for the first time by charging Rs 1,000 plus applicable taxes for the cylinder and Rs 250 plus applicable taxes for regulator.