Punjab minister urges for work in oil exploration

GURDASPUR: The Union Government should order digging of the basin in Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur to explore petroleum reserves as Pakistan was getting encouraging results by doing the same in areas falling across the international border, a Punjab minister said today.

Half-a-dozen tests were conducted in the belt between 1956 and 1962 to find hydro-carbon deposits in the region, but the survey was abandoned due to limited resources, Education minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan said.

Earlier, senior Congress leader and Gurdaspur MP Pratap Singh Bajwa had stated that he would prevail upon the Prime Minister and Petroleum Ministry to engage authorities in exploration of natural gas and petroleum in the region.

"Since Pakistan had reportedly started oil digging operations in the region falling across the international border, the Centre should not delay further to explore the petroleum on the Indian side," he said.

Several big companies, including Reliance Group, were interested in launching their operations to explore natural gas and petrol in the region, the minister said.

"Digging work for oil exploration in the region was commenced in 2007-2008 and then abandoned mid-way. If Pakistan has encouraging results, why should we delay in exploring our own region for the same purpose," he said.

The Centre should order a fresh oil exploration in the region, keeping in view the demand of the state government and residents of the belt.