Government will provide LPG connections to 75 per cent of the population by 2015. Official sources said that 5.5 crore more connections are being released to achieve the target.

To meet the growing energy demand, India and Africa today decided to step up its investment in Hydrocarbon sector. This came at the end of two-day Indo-African Hydrocarbon Conference that ended this evening.

The Conference pledged to set up more joint ventures for the purpose.

The summit attended by policy makers, technocrats and other stake holders focused on boosting India-Africa oil trade and streamline regulatory frame- works apart from cooperation in capacity building to tap huge Petro-reserves in the African countries.

With huge hydro carbon reserves in African continent and their growing demand in India and Africa, the decision have tie ups and use India's expertise in exploration and refining are timely.

As the finance minister Pranab Mukherjee put it long term partnerships are needed to meet the energy requirements of emerging economies.

India plans to spend huge money to tap oil reserves in the oil rich foreign countries. It has already decided to step up spending to four lakh crore rupees in the Hydro Carbon sector in the country in next five years.

New Delhi is already partner to TAPI gas pipeline project and has made large investments in Russia and 24 other countries .