On the occasion, Modi said the goal of the government was to have 'One country, One gas grid' and said the central government was on a major initiative to connect all the gas grids across the country.
Modi also said this was a historic moment for the nation and the states of Kerala and Karnataka in particular. He said the project became a reality due to the cooperation of the people and the state governments in Kerala and Karnataka.
The Prime Minister in his speech also stressed upon the necessity of the Central-state cooperation to implement such major projects required for the development of the state and the people.
The LNG pipeline commissioned at a cost of Rs 3,226 crore and covering an area of 444 kilometers passes through the districts of Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod in Kerala and culminates at Mangaluru in Karnataka.
The natural gas pipeline was launched in 2009 at an estimated cost of Rs 2,915 crore and was to be commissioned in 2014. But opposition on safety and commercial grounds wherein the land price was the main hurdle, both from political parties and the public, caused long delay. This also led to the project cost nearly doubling to over Rs 5,750 crore.There was a technical challenge at the final stage with the pipeline laying across the Chandragiri river in Kasargod. The 540-metre treacherous stretch was eventually completed in November and that got the project ready for commissioning.
However, even earlier the project has already been supplying gas to the industrial units and residences in the Ernakulam city since 2013 after a part of the project was commissioned.
Speaking on the occasion of inauguration, Union minister for Petroleum and Natural gas, Dharmendra Pradhan said, "The cooperation extended by the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was exemplary and said this model has to be emulated." He also thanked the Kerala Chief Minister publicly.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during his address said the project had become a reality owing to the support of the people of the state and the joint work with the GAIL and Union government. He said the commissioning of this project was a major election promise of the Left Front and expressed satisfaction on its completion. He said the project was almost decommissioned in 2015 and after the LDF government assumed office in 2016, the project again started functioning.
Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa was also present during the virtual inauguration.
(With inputs from agencies)