The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA), Government of India, organized a high-level round table meeting on the theme “Expansion of PNG Services and Strengthening of Essential Services” at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on March 28, 2026. This meeting was conducted in alignment with the decision taken by the Group of Ministers (GOM) on March 25, 2026. The session saw the Presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri (Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas) Manohar Lal Khattar (Minister for Housing and Urban Development) and Pralhad Joshi (Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution), alongside various State Ministers, senior Officials and representatives from Municipal Bodies.
The Primary objective of the meeting was to Sensitize States and urban local bodies (ULB) regarding the expansion of the City Gas Distribution (CGD) Network, the distribution of PNG connections and the acceleration of necessary approval Processes. During the discussions, Significant emphasis was Placed on the necessity of expanding the CGD network across urban bodies nationwide. The participants reviewed Previously issued Guidelines to Simplify PNG connection distribution and installation Procedures and Shared information regarding the formation of State-level committees to expedite CGD network Establishment. Furthermore, the Strengthening of PNG infrastructure was Prioritized to address Challenges associated with LPG supply and Strict directives were issued for the immediate resolution of Pending No Objection Certificate (NOC) cases. The meeting saw active participation from States Such as Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi with Several other States joining Virtually.
The meeting concluded with a directive for municipal bodies to ensure active cooperation in CGD Projects to Provide Clean, Safe and accessible energy in urban areas. Speaking on this occasion, the Minister of Urban Development and Energy for Uttar Pradesh A.K. Sharma, highlighted that certain NOC-related cases are Pending in various urban bodies of the State, including Bahraich, Varanasi, Shravasti, Lakhimpur Kheri, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj. He assured the assembly that he would Personally focus on these cases to ensure their swift resolution. He further Stated that the Director of Local Bodies would be instructed to expedite the NOC issuance Process to Eliminate unnecessary delays and ensure time-bound completion of Work.
Addressing specific regional concerns, the Minister mentioned the situation in Bahraich, where road cutting followed by a lack of timely restoration has caused difficulties, Particularly during the monsoon season. He committed to ensuring that necessary actions are taken to resolve this issue Promptly. Minister Sharma reaffirmed that he would Personally monitor the entire matter to ensure effective and speedy Solutions. Overall, the meeting focused on establishing better coordination between Central and State governments to ensure the effective implementation of urban energy Schemes, with officials being Provided with Clear instructions for time bound action and Monitoring.
