Durgapur, West Bengal July 19, 2025 — Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has reaffirmed the central role of energy infrastructure in India’s journey toward becoming a developed nation, citing major strides in pipeline expansion, fuel affordability, and clean energy access under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at a public event in Durgapur, Puri highlighted the progress of the ‘One Nation, One Gas Grid’ initiative, noting that India’s natural gas pipeline network has grown from 15,000 km in 2014 to approximately 25,000 km today, with further expansion underway.
Puri emphasized India’s resilience in shielding citizens from global fuel price shocks. “When petrol and diesel prices were skyrocketing worldwide, PM Modi ensured that their heat didn’t even reach India,” he said, pointing to reductions in central excise duty that saved consumers ₹13 and ₹16 per litre on petrol and diesel respectively.
He also credited the PM Ujjwala Yojana for transforming household energy access, stating that over 10.33 crore women have received free LPG connections. “Even today, they get a cylinder for just ₹553—far lower than prices in neighboring countries,” Puri noted, comparing it to ₹1,204 in Sri Lanka, ₹1,201 in Nepal, and ₹1,000 in Pakistan.
In West Bengal alone, more than 1.25 crore beneficiaries have been covered under the scheme, which Puri described as a catalyst for women’s health improvement and job creation. “Clean fuel is now present in almost every kitchen in every country,” he added.
The minister concluded by asserting that energy infrastructure is not just a technical asset but a strategic pillar of India’s development model—enabling economic growth, social equity, and national security.
