Government slashes land charges from Rs. 1,956 to Re. 1 per metre; MCC officers refuse to comply

Mysore/Mysuru: The ambitious initiative to provide ‘direct to home’ Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to every household in Mysuru city has hit a roadblock due to the attitude of certain officials from the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).

Despite the State Government significantly reducing the pipeline-laying charges from the previous Rs. 1,956 to just Re. 1 per metre as land charges (or licence fee to allow the implementing company to dig the road), progress has been hindered.

Notably, the pipeline-laying work of the Central Government project is consistently advancing in the Hootagalli City Municipal Council area while the project has remained stalled within the MCC jurisdiction for the past six months.

Nominal charges to the MCC

Earlier, the company responsible for the project had to remit Rs. 1,956 to the MCC as a licence fee and secure permission to excavate one metre of the road for pipeline laying. Following the Government’s directive, the project implementing company or agency now must pay Re. 1 per metre to the MCC for trenching the road margins and laying the pipeline.

Upon completion of the pipeline installation, the company is obligated to restore the road to its original condition at its own expense. Any cost savings realised in the project must be transferred to the consumers.

The Government’s decision to reduce costs aims to fulfil the energy demand while enhancing the proportion of cleaner energy, marking a positive stride towards sustainable economic growth. Internationally, the utilisation of natural gas for cooking, industrial operations, and transportation has led to notable improvements in  environmental conditions.

November 2023 order

In November 2023, the State Government issued an order setting the charge at Re. 1 per metre. Nevertheless, despite the MCC authorities receiving written directives from the Government, they have cited the need to obtain permission from the Urban Development Department as an excuse.

Consequently, this endeavour has remained at a standstill for the past six months, despite the substantial reduction in charges.

 As a result, the initiative to supply cooking gas via pipelines to approximately 3.75 lakh households in Mysuru has been halted. However, in Kalaburagi, pipeline construction is progressing as per Government directives, with a nominal charge of Re. 1 per metre.

Remarkably, even the Hootagalli Municipal Council, located on the outskirts of Mysuru, has authorised the project. Pipeline installation spanning 50 kilometres is currently in progress, with gas connections being extended to residences in the area.

Obstacles from the beginning

The initiative to provide PNG to households encountered numerous obstacles. However, in 2019, through the unwavering efforts of Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha, the project gained momentum.

Since its inception, MLAs and Corporators have vehemently opposed it, citing concerns about road damage resulting from pipeline installation and the substantial funds needed  for repairs.

Consequently, the MCC did not grant overall permission for excavation works to commence. Despite assurances from the project implementing company that the roads would be fully restored to their original condition, some MLAs and Corporators remained steadfast in their refusal to permit road-digging in their areas.

Despite the concerns, pipelines were laid in Vijayanagar and Hebbal beyond the MCC limits, providing PNG connections to over 500 homes. Works were initiated to lay the pipelines at Kuvempunagar and Dattagalli and later at Kadakola and Nanjangud.

Deadlock cleared in Council

During this deadlock, Prathap Simha intervened by attending a Council meeting presided over by the then Mayor Sunanda Palanetra. Through his efforts, despite opposition from certain members, he successfully persuaded the MCC to grant permission for the project to proceed.

Subsequently, when Shivakumar became the Mayor, a fee of Rs. 1,857 per metre was fixed for permission to dig one metre of land. Despite this relatively high charge, the implementing company laid a 45-kilometre pipeline along the Outer Ring Road and neighbouring regions, enabling gas connections for around 800 households.

Furthermore, in response to the industrial requisites in Nanjangud, another plant was erected there. This development encompassed the completion of 6 kilometres of pipeline installation, facilitating gas distribution to the industries  via pipelines.

‘Re. 1 per metre will set a precedent; as such, officers have not acted’

To install a gas pipeline for one metre, the MCC has fixed a charge of Rs. 2,000. This decision had been approved by the Council too and the project-implementing company laid pipelines in some areas following the same fee structure. But now, the company is saying that it will pay only Re. 1 as per the Government order, said Shivakumar, former Mayor.

“The gas project implementing company has successfully persuaded the State Government to lower the digging charge to Re. 1 per metre. The Government has recommended that local organisations promote the new eco-friendly gas pipeline connection plan. Consequently, Municipalities and Corporations have been urged to authorise pipeline installations at the rate of one rupee per metre,” he stated.

“Several companies have already been charged Rs. 2,000 per metre by the MCC for pipeline and cable installations. If the gas company is now billed only one rupee, it establishes a precedent for all future cases. Therefore, the MCC cannot adhere to the Government’s directive. This is why MCC officers have abstained from making any decisions on this matter,”  Shivakumar added.