IPI gas pipeline: work will start by March: India

New Delhi: India hoped that work would start on Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project by March next year. Media reports quoting Indian Secretary Petroleum and Natural Gas, M S Srinivasan said in Coimbatore in Karnataka state on Friday that India was also hopeful to finalise a transit fee agreement with Pakistan before starting this $7 billion project.

He said talks with Pakistan on transit fee and other related issues were stopped due to political developments in Pakistan. Negotiations with Islamabad would resume soon, he said.

India has already discussed the issue of gas price and transportation charges with Islamabad and only the transit fee issue remains to be solved. He expressed the confidence that transit fee issue would be solved and the project would begin by March next year.

After resolving issue with Pakistan, he said trilateral talks between India, Pakistan and Iran would be held to finalise all aspects of the project, he added.