Kolkata: Bengal Gas Co Ltd (BGCL) is set to submit a detailed plan to KMC, seeking permission to lay piped natural gas (PNG) pipelines across nine stretches in the city in the first phase, following an assurance from the civic body that the application would be processed expeditiously.BGCL, a joint venture of GAIL and the state-owned Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corporation Ltd (GCGSC), earlier put its Kolkata PNG expansion plans on hold after KMC sought a micro-tunnelling inspection charge of Rs 900 per metre. Company officials argued that the fee was more than four times the rate prescribed under the state govt’s policy for the city.“We recently met KMC commissioner Smita Pandey and requested her to see that KMC demands are as per the state govt policy, which will reduce the charge to ensure the project is economically viable. She asked us to submit a detailed plan while also assuring us of considering our request,” said BGCL CEO Anupam Mukherjee.The company has prepared a plan to lay 30 km of main steel pipeline across nine stretches in the city in the first phase and will develop a blueprint to construct about 600 km of medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) pipe to provide last-mile connectivity to households’ kitchens in subsequent phases.“We have a budget of Rs 775 crore to construct the PNG infrastructure in the KMC area. However, the civic body authorities earlier anticipated the demand was about Rs 565 crore from us as a micro-tunnelling inspection charge,” Mukherjee stated.BGCL has already constructed the main steel pipeline from Chingrihata to Baruipur; a large part of it passes through the KMC area. Additionally, the company has begun construction of a PNG pipeline from Kalikapur to Jadavpur after obtaining necessary approval from the civic body.After the construction of the PNG pipeline network in the KMC area along the EM Bypass, the company plans to supply gas to the societies primarily before connecting to the standalone houses, officials said.The company launched PNG supply in Kalyani last Nov, marking the first such service in the KMDA area, and in Debanandapur gram panchayat in June 2026. BGCL has so far installed 862 gas meters in the Kalyani township. BGCL is going to start PNG supply in Chandernagore next month, officials said.
