Union Govt writes to States, UTs for speedily approving pending, new gas pipeline projects 

Union Government urges States and UTs to expedite approval of gas pipeline projects to promote piped natural gas usage.

The Union Government has written to State governments and Union Territories urging them that pending applications for laying of city gas distribution pipelines (CGD) be given deemed approval and new applications be accorded approval within twenty-four hours, Sujata Sharma, Joint-Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) told reporters here in an inter-ministerial briefing here Tuesday (March 17, 2026).  

Additionally, Ms. Sharma informed that the Union Govt has also urged that the respective governments waive off road restoration and permission charges and relax working conditions, among other things.  

“The [Union] Government has written to governments of States and union territories requesting them that all pending applications for laying of pipelines be accorded ‘deemed approval’, new applications be approved within twenty-four hours,” she stated, adding, “Further, the road restoration and permission charges - that are levied by the respective State governments - be waived off, instituting a relaxation on working hours and working season, and appoint a nodal officer for better coordination and faster rollout.”

Separately, in response to a query, she told reporters that domestic LPG production has increased 38% till date since the supply maintenance orders were issued.  

Further, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Shipping and Waterways also informed that the six tankers presently at the Western part of the Strait of Hormuz, are carrying at an average of 45,000 metric tonnes of the cooking gas, totalling to approximately 3 lakh metrictonnes.  

For context, the underlined actions are part of the government’s broader objective to prompt a supportive infrastructure to prompt consumers for a switch to piped natural gas (PNG), to ease off pressure off liquified petroleum gas (LPG) which faces continued pressure amidst the escalating tensions in West Asia. India imports 60% of its LPG requirements, of which 90% is routed through the Strait of Hormuz.