Gas pipelines will soon be expanded to support industries and prevent any shortage of fuel as the government has set a target to provide around 39 lakh gas connections across the state.
Punjab’s Industry Minister Sanjeev Arora has also clarified that there is no shortage of gas for homes and people should not panic.
The government stated that gas pipelines have already reached Doraha and will soon be extended to industries in Ludhiana and Jalandhar is also expected to be connected to the gas pipeline network shortly after. The objective of this move is to ensure that industries do not face any gas shortages and in areas where pipelines are already installed the supply is reported to be normal and stable.
The minister said the current “shortage-like situation” is being driven by panic booking as earlier people typically booked one cylinder at a time but now many are booking two to four cylinders together which is creating unnecessary pressure on the supply system.
He added that areas already connected to the PNG (Piped Natural Gas) network are not facing any issues and the government is now focusing on expanding the pipeline network across the state as quickly as possible.
According to officials gas pipelines have already been laid in several districts including Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala and others while work is ongoing in areas like Mandi Gobindgarh and Rajpura. The government’s long-term goal is to shift more users from LPG cylinders to PNG which is supplied directly through pipelines and offers continuous availability.
