LADAI termed the meeting a significant step towards resolving long-pending issues and said it would continue to pursue them on behalf of distributors.The meeting comes as the Maharashtra govt accelerates the expansion of piped natural gas (PNG) connections amid global supply disruptions affecting LPG availability. Acting on directives from the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas, the state’s food, civil supplies and consumer protection department has issued operational guidelines to city gas distribution (CGD) companies.CGD firms have been asked to appoint district-level nodal officers to oversee pipeline expansion and submit weekly progress reports. These reports must detail domestic, commercial, and industrial PNG connections, including registrations, installations, pipeline length completed, and pending work. The consolidated report is to be submitted to the state-level oil industry coordinator in Mumbai every Monday by 1 pm, with reporting in effect from April 1.Companies and distributors have been directed to accept both online and offline applications from housing societies and individual residents. Authorities have also been told to scale up ward-level application centres and helpdesks in line with demand, and to operate a 24-hour helpline.Municipal corporations, district supply officers and CGD companies will jointly run information and assistance centres, with regular district-level reviews to monitor progress. The directives will remain in force until global supply conditions stabilise.
