Mumbai, March 30 (IANS) In response to the cooking gas shortage triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Maharashtra’s Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday issued a stern warning that citizens residing in areas where piped gas infrastructure is available must switch to Piped Natural Gas connections or face the cancellation of their existing Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinder services. ​

Consumers have been given a three-month window to apply for Piped Natural Gas connections, with the final deadline set for June 30. ​

The decision comes amid concerns over Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinder shortages caused by escalating tensions involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.​

“Both domestic and commercial consumers must apply for Piped Natural Gas connections within the next three months. Applications received by June 30 should be approved immediately. Concerned officials have been directed to increase coordination with gas companies to expedite the processing of these applications,” Minister Bhujbal stated.​

He said that in urban areas like Mumbai, Pune, and Thane, where Piped Natural Gas pipelines are already laid, the government intends to stop Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinder supplies by June 30, 2026. ​

Citizens in these areas are urged to apply for a piped connection immediately. He suggested making Piped Natural Gas connections mandatory for obtaining an Occupation Certificate for new residential and commercial buildings, as with water and electricity connections.​

Minister Bhujbal emphasised that Piped Natural Gas is cheaper and safer than Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders. The push is intended to reduce the state’s dependence on imported fuel and streamline urban energy distribution. ​

“To speed up the rollout, the state has issued a directive that permissions for laying gas pipelines will be considered ‘deemed approved’ if not processed within 24 hours. Local bodies have been told to waive certain restoration charges to encourage rapid expansion,” he said.​

He clarified that this mandate applies only to areas where piped gas infrastructure is already operational. ​

“This condition applies only to citizens living in areas where piped gas facilities are available. Residents in areas lacking this infrastructure need not panic; their Liquefied Petroleum Gas connections will not be cancelled. However, those who have the facility available but have not started using it must apply immediately,” he urged.​

Addressing concerns over food security, Minister Bhujbal assured the public that the state has sufficient food grain stocks. ​

To ease the situation, ration card holders are now permitted to withdraw three months’ worth of grain quota at once. He reiterated that there is no need for citizens to panic regarding essential supplies.​

–IANS

sj/dan

​