CNG is recognized as less pollutant source of energy. Since long CNG has replaced petroleum and gasoline especially in vehicles plying as city transport. The volume of pollution according to experts has been considerably reduced when statistics of air pollution in big cities id taken into account. Srinagar and Jammu, the twin capital cities of the State, are becoming hugely crowded owing to large scale migration of rural population to urban areas. In particular, Jammu has seen big influx of refugees from the border areas besides the Kashmir valley displaced persons ever since the eruption of militancy in the State in 1989-90.
At the same time since economic activity has increased manifold in last two decades, the number of public and private vehicles in both the cities has increased hugely. Jammu is one of the cities in the country which has the highest number of private vehicles running on the roads. Same is the case with Srinagar. In fact, purchasing capacity has increased and more and more people can afford vehicles. Those using two-wheelers have graduated to four wheelers and every working member of the household wants to have independent means of communication to save time and labour.
Keeping all these factors in view, there is justification for the Chief Minister to approach the Union Petroleum Minister, who visited Srinagar recently along with about 20 members of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee, with a number of suggestions that would improve fuel consumption and supply position of fuel in the State and also take into account the security factor. The Union Petroleum Minister has agreed to direct his ministry to conduct a study about making the twin-capital cities as CNG cities. If the proposal goes through, then all motor vehicles running on the streets of two capital cities will replace petroleum and diesel fuel with CNG which has far less pollutant components. That will be a major step towards reducing pollution of air in both the cities and thus help people breath purer air. This experiment has been successful in other parts of the country and there is no reason why it should not be successful in our State as well. The CM has taken up the question of increased quota of subsidized kerosene to the State, and the Union Minister has assured to consider the proposal sympathetically. J&K is a hilly state and a large number of people live in higher reaches where connectivity is poor and supply of gas becomes somewhat cumbersome. People in backward areas are depending on the supply of kerosene. If the quota of kerosene is increased, it will bring much relief to that segment of population of the State.
Another important matter which the Chief Minister has taken up with the Union Petroleum Minister is that of providing opportunities to the youth for employment in PSU. In this connection campus recruitment of the youth in all the three regions of the State will be appreciated and it will reduce the cumbersome process of advertisements, selections, interview etc.
Actually there is great need of revamping the fuel supply system in the State. Monopolization by agencies should not be allowed and distribution of fuel should be made simpler and more prompt.
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