Govt bars PNG users from holding LPG connections
Oil ministry orders surrender of domestic LPG where piped gas is available | Regulator pushes faster PNG rollout to ease supply pressure amid global disruptions
image for illustrative purpose
New Delhi: The government has barred households with piped natural gas (PNG) connections from retaining or obtaining subsidised domestic LPG connections, while directing city gas distributors to speed up PNG rollout to reduce pressure on cooking gas supplies amid global energy disruptions.
In a notification issued on March 14, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas amended the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000, under the Essential Commodities Act.
Under the revised order, consumers who already have a PNG connection must surrender their domestic LPG connection immediately. They will also not be allowed to take LPG cylinder refills from government oil companies or their distributors.
“No person having a piped natural gas (PNG) connection and also having a domestic LPG connection shall retain a domestic LPG connection, or take refills of domestic LPG cylinders,” the order said.
Government oil companies and their distributors have also been prohibited from providing domestic LPG connections or refilling cylinders for consumers who already have PNG supply.
The move is aimed at prioritising LPG supplies for households that do not have access to piped gas. India imports about 88 per cent of its crude oil, 50 per cent of its natural gas and nearly 60 per cent of its LPG requirement. A large share of these imports comes from West Asian countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Supply pressures have intensified following the conflict involving Iran and the subsequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for Gulf energy supplies.
In a related advisory, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has asked city gas distribution companies to accelerate the rollout of domestic PNG connections, especially in areas where pipeline infrastructure already exists.
The regulator said expanding PNG coverage will help reduce pressure on LPG supply chains, improve access to cleaner cooking fuel and mitigate supply disruptions caused by global geopolitical developments.
