The government has ordered the supply of LPG cooking gas to households to be halted if consumers fail to switch to piped natural gas where such a connection is available, under a new order aimed at accelerating the expansion of the gas network and reducing reliance on single fuel.
As India grapples with an LPG shortage due to the war in West Asia that has disrupted supplies from major sources, the government is pushing households and commercial users to switch to piped natural gas (PNG) – a more convenient alternative that is produced locally and sourced from diverse supplies.
PNG is continuously supplied to kitchen stoves through pipelines, eliminating the need to reserve containers.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has notified the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products (By Laying, Construction, Operation and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Order 2026, which aims to accelerate pipeline infrastructure, facilitate approvals and encourage the shift from LPG to Papua New Guinea to enhance energy security.
The March 24 order states that LPG supplies “shall stop after three months” if a family does not choose Papua New Guinea despite its availability. However, this clause allows continuation where it is “technically not possible” to provide a piped connection, subject to obtaining a no-objection certificate.
The move aims to free up LPG supplies from areas connected by pipelines and shift them to areas lacking such infrastructure, while promoting “fuel diversification” amid global supply disruptions, including damage to liquefaction facilities in the Gulf and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Commenting on the matter, Oil Minister Neeraj Mittal said in a post on X: “The crisis has been turned into an opportunity” through the ease of implementing business reforms.
The order issued under the Essential Commodities Act seeks to speed up pipeline infrastructure by facilitating approvals, standardizing fees and ensuring time-bound permissions.
To facilitate rapid implementation, public authorities must grant right of way or permissions within specified timelines, otherwise approvals will be deemed granted. The order also prohibits authorities from imposing fees beyond those specified.
In residential areas, entities controlling access must grant permissions within three business days, and last-mile PNG connectivity must be provided within 48 hours. Requests to connect pipelines in such areas cannot be rejected.
The order also provides for the intervention of appointed officers with civil court-like powers to resolve disputes over access to land and grant right of way when necessary.
Licensed entities must begin laying pipelines within four months of approval or face penalties, including the potential loss of exclusivity.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is designated as the nodal agency to monitor implementation, including tracking approvals, denials and compliance.
If a right of way or right of use to extend a pipeline to the residences to supply Papua New Guinea is not granted by the entities controlling access to the residential complex, a notice will be issued and after three months the oil marketing companies will stop supplying LPG.
It listed “the consequences of households not applying for and obtaining a PNG Connection when notified by the authorized body” that laid a pipeline to supply this fuel, and said: “Supplies of LPG to this address must cease three months from the date of notification.”
“Supply of LPG to any household will not stop, if the authorized body issues a No Objection Certificate (NOC) on the basis that it is not technically possible to provide piped natural gas connection or gas supply to such household,” it said.
The licensed entity must keep records of the reasons for such technical infeasibility and withdraw the NOC when it is able to provide and operate piped gas delivery to these homes.
