Highway ministry accelerates CGD infra approvals amid LPG crisis

The highway ministry has introduced a fast-track approval framework for CGD infrastructure, cutting timelines to boost PNG and CNG expansion amid LPG supply constraints

Amid the nationwide LPG crisis, the ministry of road transport and highways has issued guidelines to accelerate approvals for city gas distribution infrastructure, a government circular said.

 

“In view of the prevailing constraints in LPG availability and the need for expeditious expansion of city gas distribution (CGD) infrastructure, it has been decided to adopt an ‘Accelerated Approval Framework for CGD Infrastructure with reduced timelines as a special measure for three months, without altering the existing policy framework for granting Right of Way (RoW) permissions and access permissions to national highways,” the ministry’s circular dated Tuesday said. 

CGD applications will be processed on priority under the temporary framework. The new policy effects a 15-day expedited timeline for granting of RoW for laying of gas pipelines along national highways, which is also the benchmark the ministry used for BharatNet projects. 

 

“For the limited period of operation of this framework, the requirement of placing such proposals in the public domain is dispensed with, to avoid procedural delays,” the circular said.

 

The government has been pushing households to switch to piped natural gas (PNG), which has lower import dependency than LPG, which is predominantly used in Indian households. With the war in West Asia impacting energy supply chains, the government has asked people to conserve LPG. A majority of India’s LPG imports come via the now choked Strait of Hormuz near Iran.

 

The ministry’s circular also said that all applications for access permission relating to compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied to compressed natural gas (LCNG) stations will be accorded priority and disposed of within 30 days.

 

Any damage caused to national highway assets during execution of works shall be recovered from the executing agency based on Schedule of Rates plus 15 per cent additional charges, the highways ministry said.