Jaipur: State-run oil companies have begun issuing 90-day disconnection notices to LPG consumers in Rajasthan where piped natural gas (PNG) is available, directing them to shift to PNG or face automatic withdrawal of their LPG connections.The notices started from Monday following a Union government order and directions issued by district collectorates last week. Under the norms, households and commercial users with access to PNG will be asked to move to it; if they do not, their LPG connections will be withdrawn 90 days from the notice date.Officials said district administrations, in consultation with city gas distributors (CGDs), have mapped eligible consumers and prepared lists across the state. Rajasthan’s 13 CGDs currently serve about 1.25 lakh PNG consumers.“The district administrations have shared a list consumers across Rajasthan with us. We have started issuing notices to these consumers,” said a senior Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) official. Officials from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) also confirmed notices are being sent.Oil PSUs have also begun cancelling LPG connections of consumers who already have active PNG supply. However, officials said the process has not been implemented in Jaipur because the CGD there did not register consumers with Aadhaar while issuing connections, making it difficult to map users.“There are targets set by the state govt we need to fulfill within the next three months. For the entire state, the Rajasthan mines and petroleum department has set a target of five lakh PNG consumers in the next three months. It means, we need to cancel the LPG connections of these five lakhs consumers more or less within this stipulated period,” a district official said.PSU officials said new commercial LPG connections are still being issued even in areas with PNG infrastructure, but applicants must submit an undertaking stating they have already applied for a PNG connection.
