Patna: A review meeting on the expansion of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks in Bihar was held on September 28 under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit.
District Magistrates from across the state and senior representatives of oil and gas companies participated in the meeting through video conference. The meeting was organised under the Food and Consumer Protection Department of the Bihar government.
28 Districts Connected To CGD Network
The Chief Secretary reviewed the progress of pipeline laying and domestic PNG connections and directed officials to work in mission mode to accelerate network expansion.
Of Bihar’s 38 districts, 28 districts, or around 74%, have now been connected to or covered by the CGD network.
Since the previous review meeting, five additional districts have been connected to the network. These include Sheohar and Sitamarhi on August 27 and Buxar on September 2, according to the department.
More than 1,52,686 domestic PNG (D-PNG) connections are currently live across the state. This represents around 40.44% of the target set for March 2026.
Kaimur Gasification Target Set For November
The meeting also reviewed districts where the CGD network has not yet been fully developed.
In Kaimur (Bhabua), work on steel infrastructure and a City Gate Station (CGS) is currently underway. The district has been targeted for gasification by November 2026.
The government is also reviewing infrastructure requirements and technical feasibility in nine districts without a network. These are Araria, Kishanganj, Arwal, Jehanabad, Khagaria, Nawada, Bhagalpur, Supaul and Gopalganj.
The Chief Secretary directed the District Magistrates of these nine districts to hold meetings with representatives of the concerned oil and gas companies and prepare detailed action plans.
Focus On Administrative Coordination
The meeting placed emphasis on increasing the pace of domestic PNG connections in districts where progress has been slow and strengthening coordination between departments.
Officials were directed to resolve issues related to permissions from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
Problems involving local land allocation and encroachment were also discussed, with instructions to resolve such issues at the earliest to prevent delays in network expansion.
The review meeting focused on accelerating infrastructure development, improving coordination with gas companies and expanding access to PNG and CGD services across Bihar.
