Background and Context
Piped natural gas (PNG) reaches homes under the City Gas Distribution (CGD) network. This work is done by companies authorised by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), and a "Minimum Work Programme" (MWP) is fixed for every Geographical Area (GA). In this article the MWP target, the connections provided so far, and the policy steps given in the answer are kept separate. We have a separate article on PNGRB's October 2026 Campaign 3.0; this article is on the figures of the answer of 30 July 2026.
Why in the News
On 30 July 2026, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Suresh Gopi answered Shri Kali Charan Singh's Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2001 ("Expansion of domestic PNG under CGD"). The question had asked: (a) efforts to promote PNG to reduce dependence on LPG; (b) targets and connections issued till 30 June 2026, GA-wise and state-wise; (c) the names of CGD companies that failed to meet MWP and PNG targets, the reasons, and the action taken; (d) a roadmap for July 2026 to June 2029; (e) any policy of closing LPG connections or stopping refills where PNG is available. The answer carries two annexures.
Key Facts and Figures
| The answer's national figure | PNGRB has authorised companies in 309 GAs after the 12/12A CGD bidding round, which according to the answer cover the country's entire mainland. Till 31.05.2026, 1,70,69,775 domestic PNG connections were provided, against the MWP target of 12,65,41,862 by 2034 (our calculation: about 13.5%). |
|---|---|
| National PNG Campaign 2.0 | According to the answer, "13,37,911 active PNG (Domestic) connections" were added across the country in PNGRB's National PNG Campaign 2.0 (1 January to 30 June 2026). The period and the word "active" are the answer's; it has not been added to the total as of 31.05.2026. |
| Annexure-II: state-wise (31.05.2026) | Maharashtra 47,42,692 (target 1,17,23,476); Gujarat 39,08,499 (47,53,332); Uttar Pradesh 23,06,333 (1,05,23,300); Delhi 19,60,727 (2,37,000); Karnataka 6,11,203 (66,25,577); Haryana 6,03,123 (24,80,753); Rajasthan 5,44,070 (87,09,653). Largest targets: Tamil Nadu 2,14,80,940 (connections 1,40,756), West Bengal 1,46,08,899 (1,62,123). |
| Our calculation on state-wise figures | In Delhi, Goa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli the printed connections exceed the MWP target (Delhi about 827%). Gujarat about 82.2%, Haryana about 24.3%, Maharashtra about 40.5%, Uttar Pradesh about 21.9%, Tamil Nadu about 0.7% and West Bengal about 1.1%. In eight states/UTs (Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh) connections are printed as "-", with a combined target of 27,84,145. |
| Annexure-I: GA-wise (309 GAs) | Our count: 47 GAs have 0 connections printed, and 65 GAs have connections equal to or above the target (three GAs with target "NA" counted separately). Three GAs (Jalandhar, Kutch East, Ludhiana) are printed with "*" next to their names. |
| Challenges (according to the CGD companies) | According to the answer, the main challenges in the MWP are: higher capital investment in sparse and remote areas; delay in statutory permissions and RoU/RoW; land for CNG stations and city gate stations; timely connectivity with natural gas pipelines; and the geographical constraints of hilly, forest and coastal areas. |
| Policy steps (the answer's text) | A comprehensive Control Order of 24.03.2026 under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955: time limits for RoW and permissions, "deemed approvals" on delay, and a bar on unauthorised charges. The LPG (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Amendment Order, 2026, dated 25.05.2026 under G.S.R 406(E): after taking a PNG connection, a person or family holding a domestic LPG connection will not take refills of domestic LPG cylinders and will apply within thirty days to close the LPG connection, or take a transfer voucher for a future connection in a non-PNG area. |
Checking the Figures: What Matches and What Does Not
What matches (our calculation): The sum of Annexure-I's 309 rows exactly meets the printed totals: target 12,65,41,862 and connections 1,70,69,775 (three GAs have target "NA" and were not counted in the sum). The connections sum of Annexure-II's 35 state/UT rows meets 1,72,55,095.
What does not match: The target sum of Annexure-II's 35 rows comes to 12,65,41,861, while the printed "Grand Total" is 12,65,41,862; the difference is 1. The answer does not explain the reason.
Two totals of the two annexures: Annexure-I's total is 1,70,69,775, with "(excluding cases covered under sub-judice, under dispute and pending cases)" written below it; Annexure-II's total is 1,72,55,095, with "(including cases covered under sub-judice, under dispute and pending cases)" below it. The difference between the two is 1,85,320 (our calculation). Both print the same target total of 12,65,41,862, that is, the target's scope is the same in both while the connections' scope is written differently. The answer's text carries the first total.
The dates differ: Both annexures are of the position as of 31.05.2026, but question (b) had asked for the figure till 30 June 2026. Campaign 2.0's number of 13,37,911 is of 1 January to 30 June 2026 and of a different date, so we have neither added it to nor subtracted it from the total.
The meaning of "*": In Annexure-I, Jalandhar, Kutch (East) and Ludhiana carry "*" next to their names; no explanation of it is printed on the page.
Significance: Pipe Expansion, Regional Inequality and the LPG Alternative
Uneven progress: In the printed figures, connections are concentrated in some cities and states (Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra), while states with large targets (Tamil Nadu, West Bengal) have very few, and eight areas have zero. The answer does not give reasons state-wise; it only lists five general challenges stated by the companies.
The rule on LPG refills: As per the order of 25.05.2026, a household taking a PNG connection will not get LPG refills. The answer does not say what "PNG available" means, when the order will be considered in force, or how many families are affected by it.
Challenges and What the Answer Does Not Contain
Asked, but not received: Question (b): targets till 30 June 2026 were not received; the MWP target for 2034 and the achievement as of 31.05.2026 were. Question (c): the names of companies that did not meet targets were not received; Annexure-I has the name of each GA's company, but the answer did not mark which one failed the MWP; as action, the general process (review meetings, hearings, notices, warning of penalty) was stated. Question (d): a year-wise roadmap for July 2026 to June 2029 was not received. Question (e): the order of 25.05.2026 linked to LPG refills was received.
Unresolved points: The difference of 1 in Annexure-II's target sum; the two totals (1,70,69,775 and 1,72,55,095) and their different scopes; the meaning of "*"; the target "NA" in three GAs; the effect so far of the Control Order and the LPG order.
What we did not read: We read the official 20-page PDF of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2001 (the answer and both annexures) in full. The original gazettes of the Control Order of 24.03.2026 and G.S.R 406(E), PNGRB's regulations, and the CGD companies' reports were not read.
Way Forward
Treat this as dated official information from the answer of 30 July 2026; for regular use in place of connections, company-wise default, and the roadmap, PNGRB's reports and the original orders will have to be seen.
Distinction Between Concepts
Keep four things separate: (1) the MWP target for 2034 and the achievement as of 31.05.2026; (2) the two totals with excluded and included cases; (3) Campaign 2.0's "active" connections and total connections; (4) the answer's figures and our calculation.
Mains Perspective
GS-III: energy security and infrastructure; GS-II: the regulator and Centre-state coordination.
Answer Outline
Introduction: CGD, MWP and Question 2001 (30.07.2026); the 2034 target versus the 31.05.2026 achievement (about 13.5%, our calculation).
Main Body: State-wise inequality (Delhi, Gujarat versus Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, eight zero areas); the two annexures' two totals and the difference of 1; the companies' five challenges, the Control Order and the LPG refill order; what was asked but not received (company-wise default, 2026-29 roadmap); the data needed.
Conclusion: Read the target, connections and active use separately; assess company-wise default and transition through a clear period, regular use and a verified roadmap, not by directly adding totals with different bases.
Sources
Source: the official text of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2001 and Annexure-I and II were read in full. The Control Order, the gazette notification, PNGRB's regulations and the companies' reports were not read.
Remember: According to the Lok Sabha answer, 1,70,69,775 domestic PNG connections in 309 GAs as of 31.05.2026 stand against the target of 12,65,41,862 by 2034, 47 GAs have zero, and the state-wise table's total is 1,72,55,095; but company-wise default, targets till 30 June 2026, and the 2026-29 roadmap, which were asked for, are not in the answer.
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