India Urges States to Boost Piped Gas Adoption Amid Energy Transition Push

The Indian government has asked states and Union Territories to speed up the adoption of piped natural gas (PNG) for household cooking, seeking district-level administrative support to facilitate a smoother transition.

Petroleum Secretary Neeraj Mittal wrote in an August 21 letter to state chief secretaries that PNG is a safer, cleaner, and more efficient cooking fuel, playing a critical role in advancing the country's energy transition objectives.

The ministry 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. These orders prohibit households from retaining simultaneous LPG and PNG connections.

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