Connect 43,000 households with PNG in 45 days, set daily target of 1,000 gas connections: Rajasthan Chief Secy
Jaipur, May 14
Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas on Thursday directed the City Gas Distribution entities in the state to significantly accelerate the rollout of Piped Natural Gas connections, setting a target of connecting an average of 1,000 households per day.
He instructed that 43,000 households must be brought under PNG coverage within the next 45 days, by June-end.
Chairing a meeting of the State-Level CGD Committee at the Secretariat's 'Chintan Kaksh' on Thursday, the Chief Secretary said households in areas where pipeline infrastructure is already in place must be prioritised for immediate PNG connections.
Representatives from all 13 CGD entities participated in the meeting.
He added that both the Central and state governments are strongly promoting the transition from LPG to PNG and the development of designated "LPG-free zones".
Srinivas directed the CGD entities to ensure public awareness about PNG's benefits, including 24x7 supply, elimination of cylinder booking hassles, doorstep convenience, safety, and cost efficiency.
He also called for intensive awareness campaigns through social media platforms and the organisation of connection camps to speed up household onboarding.
The Chief Secretary told that 490 CNG stations have been established in the state so far, while PNG connections have been provided to 1,380 commercial and industrial units and 153,000 households.
He stressed the need to further accelerate implementation of domestic piped gas connections in line with government priorities.
He also directed industrial training institutes (ITIs) to provide a list of 5,000 trained plumbers to Rajasthan State Gas Limited to support training and deployment for D-PNG connections.
Regular review of progress was also mandated.
Rajasthan Additional Chief Secretary (Mines and Petroleum), Aparna Arora, instructed CGD entities to identify LPG-free areas in coordination with departments so that these zones can be formally declared as LPG-free as per Central government guidelines.
She also emphasised large-scale awareness campaigns to encourage public adoption of D-PNG connections and highlighted the need to expand services to commercial and industrial consumers alongside households.
Rajasthan Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Bhaskar Sawant, and State Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Alok Gupta also shared suggestions on strengthening and expanding the PNG network.
Rajasthan State Gas Limited (RSGL) Managing Director Vinay Patni provided a progress update, saying that RSGL, in collaboration with IIT Kota, has conducted workshops for plumbers aimed at building skilled manpower while also generating employment opportunities for youth.
The meeting was attended by senior officials including Suresh Ola, Namrata Vrishni, and Avdhesh Singh, along with representatives from Finance, Food and Civil Supplies, Transport, Petroleum departments, RSGL, and all 13 CGD entities.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good initiative, but I hope they focus on safety as well. My cousin in Delhi had a PNG leakage issue last year - the maintenance wasn't great. If Rajasthan is rushing to connect 43,000 homes in 45 days, proper training for plumbers and regular inspections should be non-negotiable. Also, "LPG-free zones" sounds nice but what about areas where PNG pipeline isn't feasible? 🤔
As someone from a village near Kota, I can say PNG is a game-changer. No more running to the distributor for cylinder booking, no more waiting days for delivery. But the real challenge will be in rural areas where pipeline infrastructure is still patchy. The 5,000 plumber training initiative with ITIs is smart - at least local youth will get employment. Hope they extend this to other districts too! 👍
Interesting development. I moved to Udaipur from the US last year, and the LPG system here feels like a time warp. PNG is definitely more convenient - no more running out of gas mid-cooking! But 1,000 connections daily seems steep. In US cities, that kind of rollout takes months of planning. Hope Rajasthan's CGD entities have the manpower and materials to actually pull this off without compromising quality.
This is great for urban households but what about the cost? PNG connection fees can be steep for lower-income families. The government should consider subsidies or EMI options if they really want to push "LPG-free zones". Also, 1,380 commercial/industrial units connected so far - that number needs to go up much faster. Factories running on PNG is way more efficient than LPG! 💡
J We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.