Patna: A high-level meeting of Bihar’s Crisis Management Group (CMG), chaired by Pratyaya Amrit on Monday, has flagged delays in the rollout of piped natural gas (PNG) infrastructure, with officials directing oil companies to expedite work and meet targets.
The meeting, attended by senior officials including the development commissioner, home department leadership and the director general of police, reviewed the state’s fuel supply systems and infrastructure progress. Representatives from major oil companies — including Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, GAIL and Think Gas — were also present.
Chief secretary warns of action
Expressing dissatisfaction over the slow pace of PNG pipeline installation, Amrit directed companies to carry out work in “mission mode” and warned of strict action if targets are not met.
A review of domestic PNG (DPNG) connections revealed that, barring a few districts such as Patna and Muzaffarpur, most regions are lagging behind targets. Officials cited issues such as land allocation delays and pending approvals from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization as key hurdles.
The Department of Food and Consumer Protection, designated as the nodal agency, has been tasked with submitting weekly progress reports every Monday. Divisional commissioners and district in-charge secretaries have also been directed to conduct field inspections to verify on-ground work and manpower deployment.
LPG backlog and enforcement drive
The meeting also reviewed the status of LPG supply, particularly backlog issues reported in districts including Arwal, Gaya, Kaimur, Rohtas, Saran and West Champaran.
Officials said district control rooms have received around 800 complaints over the past five days, with authorities working to resolve them. District magistrates have conducted over 22,000 inspections statewide, leading to cylinder seizures and the registration of multiple FIRs.
Oil companies informed the meeting that nearly 90% of LPG deliveries are now being authenticated through one-time passwords sent to registered mobile numbers, with the use of alternate numbers largely discontinued for security reasons.
Support for workers, push for training
The Labour Resources Department has set up a state-level control room to assist workers from Bihar stranded in the Middle East and other states, along with a dedicated WhatsApp helpline.
To accelerate PNG expansion, the Public Health Engineering Department is providing training to plumbers and ITI students in districts such as Patna, Lakhisarai and Munger.
Officials added that around 70% of the weekly demand for hotels and industrial units is currently being met, even as efforts continue to streamline supply and expand infrastructure across the state.
