Gujarat govt: 40k new PNG connections, 13k reconnections provided by GEL

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat cabinet on Wednesday reviewed the availability of domestic and commercial PNG availability in the state and said that there was adequate stock of fuel despite the situation arising out of the West Asia crisis. The state cabinet also reviewed the availability of petrol and diesel in the state.

State govt spokesperson Jitu Vaghani said the govt has acted swiftly to ensure that ordinary citizens in the state can easily access PNG gas for domestic use amid the global crisis. Gujarat Energy Ltd (GEL) provided 40,000 new D-PNG gas connections and 13,000 reconnections to citizens between March 1 and May 17, he said. About 500 new commercial connections were also provided.

Regarding the state, he said that all city gas distribution companies, including GEL have collectively provided approximately 85,000 D-PNG connections and 1,100 commercial connections.

In a reply to a question on long queues for petrol and diesel in some parts of the state, Vaghani said the situation was discussed in the cabinet meeting and the chief secretary has been asked to ensure that fuel stocks are available at outlets across the state. “There is adequate stock of fuel. There is no need for panic. People need not resort to stockpiling,” he said.

The minister stated that the state govt has prioritized providing gas connections to hospitals, hostels, schools, colleges, and factory canteens. In this short period, GEL provided 110 connections to such institutions, and other state companies provided 225 connections.

Regarding the issue of supplying gas to the Morbi ceramic industry, Vaghani said that in the second half of March, due to rising raw material costs and increased transportation expenses, many factory owners in Morbi voluntarily ceased operations.

As a result, as of March 31, only 83 factories were operational in Morbi. “More than 670 factories have resumed operations in just one and a half months. Currently, about 865 industrial units in Morbi are connected to GEL’s gas pipeline network,” he said.