PUNE: The Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) has begun issuing notices to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) households that have not registered for or taken a piped natural gas (PNG) connection despite having infrastructure in place, officials said on Wednesday, adding that their connection will be blocked from October 1.
The blocking will be carried out through the backend systems of the oil marketing companies, potentially preventing affected households from booking or receiving LPG cylinders.
The move follows the expiry on September 30 of the 90-day period given to households to shift to PNG. Nearly four lakh households in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Talegaon and Chakan are yet to register.
“If a household covered under the PNG network does not complete the required registration, the occupant may not be able to book or receive an LPG cylinder once the backend blocking is implemented,” said Maj Shankar Karajagi (retd), director (commercial), MNGL.
MNGL has so far received around 31,000 registrations and is providing nearly 500 new domestic PNG connections every day. The blocking will be implemented through the backend systems of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).
MNGL has laid PNG pipelines reaching around nine lakh households in Pune city, of which about five lakh are currently using PNG. The company has also gasified around 6,500 housing societies.
{{/usCountry}}MNGL has laid PNG pipelines reaching around nine lakh households in Pune city, of which about five lakh are currently using PNG. The company has also gasified around 6,500 housing societies.
{{/usCountry}}“Our appeal is not about forcing anyone,” he said.
The conversion drive comes amid efforts to ease pressure on LPG supplies following recent disruptions in international energy supplies. MNGL officials said around 19% of India’s LPG supply was affected during the crisis linked to disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.