Mahamana Express linking Vadodara with Varanasi wasn’t the only connection made between Modi’s Gujarat with Yogi’s UP. On the day the Prime Minister flagged off the train between both his constituencies, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) announced that it will lay a gas pipeline from Kandla to Gorakhpur. The LPG pipeline, which is one of the biggest investments planned by the leading oil marketing company, will pass through IOC’s bottling plants at Allahabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and Gorakhpur. The total investment is estimated to be around Rs. 1,261 crore. IOC also plans to invest Rs, 140 crore to upgrade its Trisundi bottling plant. It will also set up a new terminal at Mirzapur (relocation of Mughalsarai and Allahabad terminals) for better storage and distribution of fuel. The investment on this terminal will be Rs. 650 crore. IOC will be setting up a bottling plant at Gorakhpur and Hindustan Petroleum at Gonda and Varanasi at a total cost of Rs. 463 crore.
