A 25-year plan has been prepared for the hydrocarbon sector and it is hoped that both offshore and land production would increase over the next few years following drilling within the country as well as in other countries on a shared basis.

He said contracts for drilling in 25 blocks has been given while bids for the second round of drilling in another 25 blocks would be given by March 31, this year.

Of these, eight blocks would be in the deep sea area, eight in shallow water and nine on land in UP, Rajasthan, Assam and West Bengal.

Gas has been struck in the Krishna Godawari basin, Mr Naik said.

India had entered into a Rs 8,000-crore investment with Russia for oil drilling in the Sakalin area for 20 per cent share in the production.

Similarly, an agreement has been reached with Iraq for drilling in one block, while the ONGC was collaborating with Vietnam for natural gas.

Also a 25-year contract has been signed with Qatar for liquid natural gas, five million tonnes of which would be offloaded soon at Cochin and Dahej ports, Mr Naik added.

The possibility of getting crude from Iran was also being explored. With Iraq, Mr Naik said, an oil-for-food package had been worked out. The UN Sanctions Committee has approved 15 lakh tonnes of oil in exchange for food in three months.

During the past year, 1.27 crore new connections for the supply of LPG has been cleared and next year 1.3 crore more connections would be given to wipe off the waiting list, Mr Naik said, adding next year 2,600 new gas agencies and 3,000 new petrol pumps would be sanctioned. Agents would be appointed at the tehsil and block levels also.

Mr Naik said piped connections for cooking gas would be given in Delhi and Mumbai first and later in other cities if there was a surplus.