<p>New Delhi: In a bid to accelerate the expansion of the Piped Natural Gas (PNG) network amid disruptions in LPG supply caused by the West Asia war, the Centre added more than 3.1 lakh new PNG connections in March, while another 2.7 lakh connections were sanctioned.</p><p>"In March, more than 3.1 lakh connections — including domestic, commercial, hostel, mess, canteen and others — were gasified. In addition, more than 2.7 lakh new connections have been sanctioned and are being gasified," the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a statement.</p>.PNG consumers losing 25% fuel on retrofitted LPG stoves even as Centre pushes for piped natural gas.<p>As of the end of February, India had 1.64 crore domestic PNG connections, 48,568 commercial connections, and 21,512 industrial connections. The 3.1 lakh gasified connections refer to those applied for in earlier months, which were connected and supplied with gas in March. The additional 2.7 lakh connections represent new applications received during the month, for which gas supply is currently in the process of being initiated.</p><p>“The government is prioritising the PNG rollout to households, commercial establishments, and institutions. It has extended the national expansion drive until June-end and directed city gas distributors to fast-track connections, including those for hostels, community kitchens, and educational facilities,” the statement said.</p><p>All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate inventories, while stocks of petrol and diesel remain sufficient across the country. Fuel retail outlets are functioning normally, though instances of panic buying have been reported in some areas.</p><p>Insisting that LPG distribution remains stable, the Ministry said daily deliveries averaged over 50 lakh cylinders in March.</p><p>Commercial LPG allocations have been raised in phases to about 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels, with priority given to hospitality, food processing, and key industries.</p>
<p>New Delhi: In a bid to accelerate the expansion of the Piped Natural Gas (PNG) network amid disruptions in LPG supply caused by the West Asia war, the Centre added more than 3.1 lakh new PNG connections in March, while another 2.7 lakh connections were sanctioned.</p><p>"In March, more than 3.1 lakh connections — including domestic, commercial, hostel, mess, canteen and others — were gasified. In addition, more than 2.7 lakh new connections have been sanctioned and are being gasified," the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a statement.</p>.PNG consumers losing 25% fuel on retrofitted LPG stoves even as Centre pushes for piped natural gas.<p>As of the end of February, India had 1.64 crore domestic PNG connections, 48,568 commercial connections, and 21,512 industrial connections. The 3.1 lakh gasified connections refer to those applied for in earlier months, which were connected and supplied with gas in March. The additional 2.7 lakh connections represent new applications received during the month, for which gas supply is currently in the process of being initiated.</p><p>“The government is prioritising the PNG rollout to households, commercial establishments, and institutions. It has extended the national expansion drive until June-end and directed city gas distributors to fast-track connections, including those for hostels, community kitchens, and educational facilities,” the statement said.</p><p>All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate inventories, while stocks of petrol and diesel remain sufficient across the country. Fuel retail outlets are functioning normally, though instances of panic buying have been reported in some areas.</p><p>Insisting that LPG distribution remains stable, the Ministry said daily deliveries averaged over 50 lakh cylinders in March.</p><p>Commercial LPG allocations have been raised in phases to about 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels, with priority given to hospitality, food processing, and key industries.</p>