NEW DELHI: More than 13 lakh new piped gas connections were activated across the country in the last six months – only about a fifth of the 60 lakh target set by government in March after the West Asia war disrupted energy supplies.According to Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), which launched the National Piped Natural Gas (PNG) Drive 2.0 on Jan 1 to accelerate the adoption of piped gas for cooking and compressed natural gas (CNG) for automobiles, 15.3 lakh consumers registered for new PNG connections during the period, while city gas distribution companies provisioned 12.1 lakh connections and activated 13.4 lakh. While there are over 1.7 crore ready PNG connections across 312 geographical areas, the ones which are activated or billed are estimated to be over 1.1 crore.Officials said the network is ready for immediate activation of at least one crore connections, but higher taxes on PNG, the Rs 6,000 upfront security deposit, consumer reluctance and the lack of a sustained push from govt have prevented many LPG users from switching to piped gas. Unlike water and electricity, piped gas connections are not mandatory, and owners show little interest in properties they rent out.“A large number of LPG consumers who can easily switch to PNG have multiple cylinders at home. They are sitting in a comfort zone. So far, there was no push from govt to make them shift to piped gas,” an official aware of the developments said.Officials also cited the high cost of expanding pipeline networks, including charges levied by municipal bodies for laying infrastructure, as another factor behind the slow pace of new connections.“But the pace has picked up. Between Oct and Dec 2025, nearly 3,000 new PNG connections were being installed every day across the country. That has now increased to more than 9,000 a day. Municipal bodies reduced the infrastructure charges after Centre issued directions during the conflict. Oil marketing companies have issued 90-day notices to many LPG consumers living in areas with PNG networks, asking them to switch. A de-duplication exercise to identify households with both LPG and PNG connections is also underway,” another official said.The push to expand PNG gathered pace during the West Asia conflict as India imports nearly 90% of its LPG requirement from the Gulf, making cooking fuel supplies more vulnerable than natural gas.PNGRB has set a target of 12.6 crore PNG connections by 2032. Officials said city gas distribution companies should by now have provisioned at least four crore households but have reached only a little over 1.7 crore.
