Government today said efforts would be made to provide Piped Natural Gas (PNG) facilities to over 200 cities by 2015.
"Efforts would be made to provide PNG facilities to 201 more cities by 2015," Minister of State for Petroleum Jitin Prasada told the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
Replying to supplementaries, he said that owing to limited availability of natural gas it was not possible to extend PNG to all parts of the country.
Prasada said the government would endeavour to provide PNG to all key cities to start with. The rural areas would be provided gas through cylinders under a separate scheme.
City Gas Distribution entities authorised by Central Government, including joint ventures of GAIL (India) Limited are undertaking activities to expand the PNG network, he said.
Further authorisations are to be done by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), he said.
PNGRB Act 2006 has been notified to provide a regulatory and developmental framework for developing city/local natural gas distribution networks and to promote investment in the area from both public and private sectors, Prasada said.