Bhubaneswar: With the West Asia conflict significantly affecting fuel supplies, the Odisha government has stepped up measures to expand piped natural gas (PNG) infrastructure as a reliable alternative to LPG.
Sharing information about steps being taken to address the issue, Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said on Thursday that urban areas across the state are expected to be armed with PNG connectivity within a month.
The Minister made the announcement after a high-level meeting with oil marketing companies.
In view of disruptions in LPG imports caused by the gulf crisis, the state government has decided to expeditiously implement the Centre’s directive to enhance natural gas availability for cooking.
Meanwhile, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra also reviewed the state’s fuel and LPG supply situation in a separate meeting with oil companies in Bhubaneswar.
At the national level, the government is aiming to provide 50 lakh new PNG connections across urban India to reduce dependence on LPG and improve energy access.
It may be noted that Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri recently urged states to actively promote PNG usage, especially in areas with existing infrastructure.
Patra said that households opting for PNG connections will not be allowed to continue using LPG cylinders, while LPG supply will remain in force in rural areas. He further informed that beneficiaries availing LPG will undergo e-KYC verification.
As per data, India added 580,000 new households to its piped gas supply network in March, compared with 342,300 a year earlier. India is the world’s No. 2 importer of LPG, meeting about 60% of its needs with overseas purchases. It shipped in about 22 million metric tons of LPG in 2025, mostly from the Middle East, spending nearly $12 billion
