Centre asks states, urban local bodies to fast-track approvals for expansion of PNG networks

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday asked states and urban local bodies (ULBs) to fast-track approvals and adopt time-bound plans to accelerate the expansion of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) networks across urban areas amid the West Asia conflict.

All districts and ULBs have been directed to prepare a time-bound three weeks action plan with ward-wise targets, identification of priority areas and clear timelines for approvals and execution.

The directions were issued during a joint review meeting chaired by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Srinivas Katikithala and Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary Neeraj Mittal, with participation from officials across over 110 identified geographic areas covering more than 190 districts and 300 urban authorities.

States and ULBs were asked to expedite permissions for laying of pipeline and related works, while facilitating mapping of PNG infrastructure and scaling up household connections, particularly in areas where pipelines are already in place, the HUA ministry said in a statement.

The ULBs should prioritise areas where pipeline infrastructure is already available, and in high-demand locations and group housing societies to achieve quick results. Fast-tracking permissions in such areas was emphasised to demonstrate immediate progress, Katikithala was quoted as saying in the statement.

They stressed prioritising high-demand zones, including group housing societies, to quickly unlock nearly 30 lakh pending household connections, while also tapping a broader potential of around 60 lakh connections through focused campaigns.

The ULBs were also directed to relax procedural norms wherever feasible and align implementation with the latest gas supply guidelines issued by the Centre.

To ensure effective rollout, states were asked to set up dedicated quick response teams at district and city levels for daily monitoring and coordination, according to the statement.