The Centre on Tuesday issued an order under the Essential Commodities Act for a streamlined and time-bound framework for laying and expanding pipelines across the country and enables faster development of natural gas infrastructure. The order comes at a time when the country faces a shortage of LPG amid the raging war in West Asia.
The ministry, notifying the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution (Through Laying, Building, Operation and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Order, 2026, said the move addresses delays in approvals and access to land, while enabling faster rollout of gas infrastructure, including in residential areas.
The order seeks to remove structural bottlenecks that have slowed pipeline expansion. It noted that impediments include “approvals from various authorities, imposition of very high fee and charges and at times denial of access to land or residential areas,” including by resident welfare associations.
What did the official notification say?
The notification underlined the need to strengthen energy supply resilience. It stated that constraints in gas and LPG supply are being faced “on account of extensive damage to and suspension of operations of the liquefaction facilities in the Gulf region… and the continued blockage of the Strait of Hormuz,” necessitating fuel diversification for long-term energy security.
The order emphasised that increasing gas supply through pipelines “shall enable release of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)… and make available additional volumes of LPG… to reduce dependence on any one fuel,” signalling a push towards reducing reliance on LPG where pipeline connectivity exists.
It also highlighted the critical role of pipeline infrastructure in gas distribution, stating that supply to consumers requires laying networks “through individual pipelines or a network of smaller pipelines and eventually through service pipelines to the consumer.”
To address these challenges, the government has introduced a uniform and transparent regulatory framework with standardised processes and timelines. The order provides for time-bound approvals and deemed clearances to eliminate procedural delays, while restricting arbitrary levies and charges.
It will apply to “all public entities and other persons or individuals having rights… over public areas, housing areas and non-public areas; and all authorised entities,” enabling smoother execution of pipeline projects across jurisdictions.
The framework is aimed at accelerating City Gas Distribution networks, improving last-mile connectivity and enabling a gradual transition from LPG to piped natural gas in areas where infrastructure exists, while ensuring flexibility where connectivity is not feasible.
What did Neeraj Mittal say?
“With guidance of PM Narendra Modi and Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the Natural Gas infrastructure – PNG and CNG gets major ease of doing business reforms… witness rapid expansion of CGD network across the country – a crisis turned into an opportunity,” Petroleum Secretary Neeraj Mittal said on X.
The government said the order will come into force immediately and is expected to strengthen energy security, improve ease of doing business and support India’s transition towards a gas-based economy through faster expansion of cleaner fuel infrastructure.