Centre And Agencies Deliberate PNG Expansion Amid LPG Crisis
ECONOMY & POLICY

Centre And Agencies Deliberate PNG Expansion Amid LPG Crisis

Ministers and senior officials convened at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi for a roundtable review to accelerate expansion of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) infrastructure amid a nationwide LPG crisis linked to the conflict in West Asia. The meeting was attended by Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Manohar Lal and Hardeep Singh Puri, state administrators including municipal commissioners, and executives of the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and Indian Oil. Participants reviewed strategies to ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential services while reducing dependence on cylinder supplies.

A target to provide five million (mn) new PNG connections was discussed. Deliberations focused on identifying implementation hurdles and proposing remedies such as fast tracking road cutting permissions and adopting deemed approval mechanisms. Officials highlighted technical and administrative bottlenecks affecting timely rollout and raised concerns about high right of way (RoW) charges and restoration fees.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) presented the current status of the rollout and underlined advantages of PNG over LPG in safety, reliability, affordability and environmental sustainability. Ministers called for mission mode implementation, institutionalisation of single window approvals and integration of PNG infrastructure into urban planning. Emphasis was placed on facilitating last mile connectivity and convergence with ongoing urban development initiatives.

States and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) were urged to promote PNG adoption, prioritising public institutions such as schools and colleges where pipelines are already available. Participants advocated designating nodal officers, streamlining approvals into single window, time bound systems and closer coordination between city gas distribution (CGD) entities and municipal authorities to resolve operational challenges.

Officials proposed rationalisation or temporary waiver of RoW charges and restoration fees to reduce costs and delays. They recommended adoption of deemed approvals and clear timelines for municipal permissions to accelerate projects. The roundtable concluded with commitment to a phased and structured transition supported by consumer awareness and safeguards to avoid service disruption.

Ministers and senior officials convened at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi for a roundtable review to accelerate expansion of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) infrastructure amid a nationwide LPG crisis linked to the conflict in West Asia. The meeting was attended by Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Manohar Lal and Hardeep Singh Puri, state administrators including municipal commissioners, and executives of the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and Indian Oil. Participants reviewed strategies to ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential services while reducing dependence on cylinder supplies. A target to provide five million (mn) new PNG connections was discussed. Deliberations focused on identifying implementation hurdles and proposing remedies such as fast tracking road cutting permissions and adopting deemed approval mechanisms. Officials highlighted technical and administrative bottlenecks affecting timely rollout and raised concerns about high right of way (RoW) charges and restoration fees. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) presented the current status of the rollout and underlined advantages of PNG over LPG in safety, reliability, affordability and environmental sustainability. Ministers called for mission mode implementation, institutionalisation of single window approvals and integration of PNG infrastructure into urban planning. Emphasis was placed on facilitating last mile connectivity and convergence with ongoing urban development initiatives. States and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) were urged to promote PNG adoption, prioritising public institutions such as schools and colleges where pipelines are already available. Participants advocated designating nodal officers, streamlining approvals into single window, time bound systems and closer coordination between city gas distribution (CGD) entities and municipal authorities to resolve operational challenges. Officials proposed rationalisation or temporary waiver of RoW charges and restoration fees to reduce costs and delays. They recommended adoption of deemed approvals and clear timelines for municipal permissions to accelerate projects. The roundtable concluded with commitment to a phased and structured transition supported by consumer awareness and safeguards to avoid service disruption.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Real Estate

Anshul Singhal launches Vantrock with Rs 42 billion development plan

Real estate professional Anshul Singhal has launched Vantrock Real Assets Private Limited (VRAPL), a Mumbai-headquartered platform focused initially on warehousing, industrial and logistics parks. The company plans to develop approximately 11.5 million sq ft of assets, with an estimated gross development value (GDV) of Rs 42 billion (approximately USD 434 million) on completion.The first phase will cover around 3 million sq ft across the National Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru and Pune, with an estimated development value of Rs 11 billion (approximately USD 113 million). Construction is sched..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Afcons wins CII award for biodiversity management

Afcons Infrastructure has received the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Award for Environmental Best Practices 2026 in the Biodiversity Management category for its work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project’s C-2 package.The award was presented at a ceremony in Chennai on 9 October 2026. It was received by Mihir Mishra, Vice-President, CPE, and Sumon Paul, Assistant General Manager, HSE, along with the Afcons team.The project adopted several resource recovery and waste management practices. These included recycling concrete washout waste to recover sand, aggregates a..

Next Story
Technology

Indian businesses lead globally in planned AI investment, says Autodesk

Indian organisations are moving towards deeper integration of artificial intelligence (AI), digital technologies and sustainability into business operations, according to Autodesk’s 2026 State of Design & Make report. The fourth edition of the annual study highlights growing AI adoption, measurable outcomes from digital transformation and the role of sustainability in long-term business growth.The report found that 64 per cent of Indian organisations are approaching or have achieved their current AI goals. While 88 per cent believe AI will enhance their industry, up from 78 per cent in 2..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code