NewKerala.com

Maharashtra Mandates Piped Gas Switch in Cities Amid LPG Shortage

Maharashtra's Food Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has mandated a switch from LPG cylinders to piped natural gas for consumers in areas where infrastructure exists, giving a three-month application deadline. The move is a direct response to cooking gas shortages exacerbated by tensions in West Asia involving Iran, the US, and Israel. The government aims to completely halt LPG cylinder supply in serviced urban areas like Mumbai, Pune, and Thane by June 2026, promoting PNG as a cheaper and safer alternative. To expedite the transition, the state has streamlined approvals for pipeline laying and assured continued LPG supply for areas without existing PNG infrastructure.

Key Points: Maharashtra's Piped Gas Mandate for Urban LPG Users

  • 3-month deadline to apply
  • LPG shortage from West Asia conflict
  • Full switch by June 2026 in cities
  • Piped gas cheaper and safer
3 min read

Maha Minister urges LPG users to switch to piped gas​

Maharashtra orders citizens in areas with piped gas to switch from LPG cylinders by 2026, citing shortages from West Asia tensions.

"Both domestic and commercial consumers must apply for Piped Natural Gas connections within the next three months. - Minister Chhagan Bhujbal"

Mumbai, March 30

In response to the cooking gas shortage triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Maharashtra's Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday issued a stern warning that citizens residing in areas where piped gas infrastructure is available must switch to Piped Natural Gas connections or face the cancellation of their existing Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinder services. ​

Consumers have been given a three-month window to apply for Piped Natural Gas connections, with the final deadline set for June 30. ​

The decision comes amid concerns over Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinder shortages caused by escalating tensions involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.​

"Both domestic and commercial consumers must apply for Piped Natural Gas connections within the next three months. Applications received by June 30 should be approved immediately. Concerned officials have been directed to increase coordination with gas companies to expedite the processing of these applications," Minister Bhujbal stated.​

He said that in urban areas like Mumbai, Pune, and Thane, where Piped Natural Gas pipelines are already laid, the government intends to stop Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinder supplies by June 30, 2026. ​

Citizens in these areas are urged to apply for a piped connection immediately. He suggested making Piped Natural Gas connections mandatory for obtaining an Occupation Certificate for new residential and commercial buildings, as with water and electricity connections.​

Minister Bhujbal emphasised that Piped Natural Gas is cheaper and safer than Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders. The push is intended to reduce the state's dependence on imported fuel and streamline urban energy distribution. ​

"To speed up the rollout, the state has issued a directive that permissions for laying gas pipelines will be considered 'deemed approved' if not processed within 24 hours. Local bodies have been told to waive certain restoration charges to encourage rapid expansion," he said.​

He clarified that this mandate applies only to areas where piped gas infrastructure is already operational. ​

"This condition applies only to citizens living in areas where piped gas facilities are available. Residents in areas lacking this infrastructure need not panic; their Liquefied Petroleum Gas connections will not be cancelled. However, those who have the facility available but have not started using it must apply immediately," he urged.​

Addressing concerns over food security, Minister Bhujbal assured the public that the state has sufficient food grain stocks. ​

To ease the situation, ration card holders are now permitted to withdraw three months' worth of grain quota at once. He reiterated that there is no need for citizens to panic regarding essential supplies.​

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Typical knee-jerk reaction from the government. First, they don't build infrastructure everywhere, then they force people in a few areas to switch with threats of cancellation. What about the high installation cost? Not everyone can afford it at short notice. They should provide subsidies.
A
Aman W
Finally, some action to reduce dependency on imports! 🇮🇳 Global conflicts keep disrupting our supply. PNG is the future - safer, continuous supply, and good for our economy. Hope they expand the network to more cities quickly.
S
Sarah B
The three-month deadline seems very tight for processing so many applications. The gas companies and municipal offices are already so slow. I appreciate the intent, but the implementation will be chaotic unless they massively increase manpower.
V
Vikram M
Good step, but what about older buildings in Mumbai? The pipeline work causes so much road digging and disruption. The coordination between gas companies, BMC, and societies needs to be excellent. Otherwise, it's just another headache for common people.
K
Kavya N
At least they clarified it's only for areas with existing infrastructure. Was worried for my parents in a small town. The assurance on food grain stocks and allowing 3-month quota is a sensible relief measure. One less thing to worry about.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50