The government told Parliament that state-run gas utility GAIL India Ltd’s 8 joint ventures for retailing CNG to automobiles and piped gas to industries have been authorised by the Centre and do not need fresh authorisation from sector regulator, PNGRB.
The joint ventures include Indraprastha Gas Ltd for Delhi, Mahanagar Gas Ltd for Mumbai, Bhagyanagar Gas Ltd for Andhra Pradesh, Central UP Gas Ltd for Kanpur, Green Gas Ltd for Lucknow and Agra, Maharasthra Natural Gas Ltd for Pune and Avantika Gas Ltd for Indore, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora stated.
In a written reply to a question, he said the JVs were authorised by the Central government before the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) came into being on October 1, 2007, and need no fresh authorisation.
“These JVs were authorised by the Central government before the ‘appointed day’ under the PNGRB Act, i.e. October 1, 2007, and ,hence, do not need fresh authorisation from PNGRB,” he said.
PNGRB had declared all these companies illegal and only after much persuasion accorded authorisation to some of these like IGL and MGL.
The Centre said the city gas projects in Gujarat, most of which started after October 2007, would require authorisation from PNGRB.