PNG connection will become an opportunity in disaster: Government is giving Rs 500 subsidy for gas consumption.
Delhi. Amid the supply crisis caused by the West Asia conflict, city gas distribution companies have launched incentive schemes to encourage consumers to switch to piped cooking gas (PNG) instead of gas cylinders. A senior official gave this information on Monday. Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the petroleum ministry, said Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) is giving free gas worth up to Rs 500 to domestic consumers taking PNG connections in Delhi and surrounding cities if they start usage before March 31.
Similarly, Mumbai-based Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) has announced waiver of registration fee of Rs 500 for domestic consumers and waiver of security deposit amount of Rs 1 to Rs 5 lakh for commercial users. Sharma said companies like state-owned gas company GAIL India and petroleum company Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) have also started similar incentive measures for consumers to take PNG connections.
He said, “The current situation is worrying. However, LPG supply continues to meet the needs of domestic consumers. There is no report of running out of gas at any LPG distributor in the country. However, there is pressure on energy supplies due to disruption of movement of cargo ships through the Strait of Hormuz due to tensions in West Asia.
India imports about 88 per cent of its crude oil, 50 per cent of natural gas and 60 per cent of LPG requirement, a major part of which comes from West Asia. The official said that all the refineries in the country are working at full capacity and there is no shortage of fuel at petrol pumps. The supply of natural gas to CNG and PNG consumers is also continuing normally.
He said gas cylinder bookings dropped to around 50–55 lakh on March 15, which is close to the level before the Iran war. Earlier on Saturday this figure was around 77 lakh and on March 13 it had increased to a high of 88.8 lakh. Sharma said that it remains to be seen whether this decline in cylinder bookings is a permanent trend or a decline due to March 15 being a Sunday.
The share of online mediums in LPG booking has increased to about 90 percent, which was earlier about 87 percent. The government is constantly appealing to consumers to book through digital means instead of lining up at gas agencies in panic. He appealed to consumers to utilize the facility of online booking and home delivery of LPG cylinders, avoid panic booking and adopt alternative energy sources like PNG if possible.
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