<p>Bengaluru: Amid concerns over LPG supply due to the war in West Asia, the state government has approved the expansion of piped natural gas (PNG) connections for over 25,000 households and 69 commercial establishments in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>However, the project involves extensive road cutting for laying the pipelines, which is likely to cause significant distress to commuters.</p>.<p>In a letter dated March 17, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh requested the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and four of the five corporations to support the expansion of GAIL network by providing road-cutting permissions on a "priority and emergency basis." She also suggested that the corporations can take a bank guarantee of Rs 50 lakh from the agency.</p>.<p>The letter comes at a time when the GBA or the corporations had stopped entertaining any requests for cutting of roads in the last one year. There was also resistance from the local elected representatives as well as the traffic police.</p>.<p>The chief secretary's note, however, refers to providing road-cutting permissions only in corporations such as Bengaluru South, North, East and West. No apartment complex or commercial buildings – coming under the jurisdiction of Bengaluru Central City corporation – have been identified.</p>.<p>As per the data, GAIL has proposed to supply PNG to large residential clusters in the city's outskirts where bulk demand is high.</p>.<p>In addition, 69 commercial establishments, including restaurants, hotels, and cafés, have been mapped, with a combined LPG consumption of 6,561 kg per day.</p>.<p>Many of these are located along key stretches such as Sarjapur Main Road, HSR Layout, JP Nagar, Malleshwaram and Yelahanka, and fall within 500m of the proposed pipeline alignment.</p>.<p>As per the protocol, GAIL is expected to restore the road to its original condition after laying the gas pipelines.</p>.<p>Last year, the state government approved a new city gas distribution policy, which slashed the pipeline installation charges from Rs 1,957 per metre to just Rs 1.</p>.<p>The policy, however, came at the cost of city corporations as it did not take into account the cost incurred on the development of roads.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Amid concerns over LPG supply due to the war in West Asia, the state government has approved the expansion of piped natural gas (PNG) connections for over 25,000 households and 69 commercial establishments in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>However, the project involves extensive road cutting for laying the pipelines, which is likely to cause significant distress to commuters.</p>.<p>In a letter dated March 17, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh requested the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and four of the five corporations to support the expansion of GAIL network by providing road-cutting permissions on a "priority and emergency basis." She also suggested that the corporations can take a bank guarantee of Rs 50 lakh from the agency.</p>.<p>The letter comes at a time when the GBA or the corporations had stopped entertaining any requests for cutting of roads in the last one year. There was also resistance from the local elected representatives as well as the traffic police.</p>.<p>The chief secretary's note, however, refers to providing road-cutting permissions only in corporations such as Bengaluru South, North, East and West. No apartment complex or commercial buildings – coming under the jurisdiction of Bengaluru Central City corporation – have been identified.</p>.<p>As per the data, GAIL has proposed to supply PNG to large residential clusters in the city's outskirts where bulk demand is high.</p>.<p>In addition, 69 commercial establishments, including restaurants, hotels, and cafés, have been mapped, with a combined LPG consumption of 6,561 kg per day.</p>.<p>Many of these are located along key stretches such as Sarjapur Main Road, HSR Layout, JP Nagar, Malleshwaram and Yelahanka, and fall within 500m of the proposed pipeline alignment.</p>.<p>As per the protocol, GAIL is expected to restore the road to its original condition after laying the gas pipelines.</p>.<p>Last year, the state government approved a new city gas distribution policy, which slashed the pipeline installation charges from Rs 1,957 per metre to just Rs 1.</p>.<p>The policy, however, came at the cost of city corporations as it did not take into account the cost incurred on the development of roads.</p>