India Pushes States to Speed Up PNG Adoption Amid LPG Supply Chain Disruptions

The Petroleum Ministry has directed states and Union Territories to provide district-level administrative support for accelerating the shift of households from LPG to piped natural gas (PNG). In a letter to state chief secretaries, Petroleum Secretary Neeraj Mittal said that PNG plays a critical role in advancing India's energy transition objectives. It reduces the logistics burden associated with LPG distribution and improves consumer convenience.

The ministry is seeking district-level intervention to implement a regulatory framework aimed at preventing households from retaining both LPG and PNG connections in areas where piped gas is available. The push for faster adoption of gas piped to households for cooking purposes follows the disruption to India's LPG supply chains during the West Asia crisis earlier this year.

The government has notified the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution (Through Laying, Building, Operation and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Orders of 2026 and LPG Control Orders under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The orders prohibit households from retaining simultaneous LPG and PNG connections.

The ministry has directed authorised city gas distribution (CGD) entities and public-sector oil marketing companies to establish a PNG Coordination Committee (PCC) in every geographical area. The PCC will identify eligible housing societies and households, issue statutory notices, and conduct outreach camps to accelerate PNG connections.