India Pushes States to Speed Up Piped Gas Adoption

The Petroleum Ministry in India has asked states and Union Territories to accelerate the adoption of piped natural gas (PNG) for household cooking, citing its safety, cleanliness, and efficiency advantages over liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Petroleum Secretary Neeraj Mittal wrote an August 21 letter to state chief secretaries, stating that PNG is critical in advancing the country's energy transition goals. He noted that accelerating PNG adoption would reduce logistics burdens associated with LPG distribution and enhance consumer convenience.

The ministry has directed authorized city gas distribution (CGD) entities and public-sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) to establish a PNG Coordination Committee (PCC) in every geographical area. The committees will identify eligible housing societies and households, issue statutory notices, conduct outreach camps, and facilitate the transition between LPG distributors and CGD entities.

State governments have been asked to nominate one nodal officer at the district level to be formally associated with the local PCC. This officer will help secure right of way or right of use from resident welfare associations and housing societies, facilitate the transition, support consumer outreach and verification, and resolve consumer grievances.