India to bypass B'desh to get Myanmar gas

India has taken the stand due to Dhaka's negative attitude towards the proposed India-Myanmar pipeline passing via its territory.

With Bangladesh maintaining "negative" attitude with regard to the proposed India-Myanmar gas pipeline passing through its territory, India has decided to by-pass the neighbouring country and started the process for making alternate arrangements for receiving the hydrocarbon.

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After about a yearlong stalemate and Myanmar's threat to sell the available gas to other countries, India has decided to transport gas from two offshore blocks in Myanmar via Tripura without touching Bangladeshi territory.

State-owned Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has asked a private company to conduct feasibility studies to transport gas from Myanmar to be received at Patna, official sources said.

Another study has been commissioned to assess feasibility of transporting the gas in the form of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) bypassing Bangladesh, they said.

The reports of the studies are expected by next month, the sources said.

The Government took the step after Myanmar raised doubts over India's seriousness in the project and sought "clarifications" urgently on how India proposed to move ahead.

Myanmar has threatened that if India does not decide on the project fast, it would consider selling its gas to some other countries like China and Thailand.