Vijayawada:Andhra Pradesh government has set a target of issuing more than one lakh piped natural gas (PNG) connections in the state within a month’s time.
Addressing a press conference in Vijayawada on Thursday, AP Civil Supplies minister Nadendla Manohar said the State Cabinet has approved enhancing the number of PNG connections across Andhra Pradesh, particularly in Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, and Tirupati.
He said the shift to PNG is to reduce dependence on the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which needs to be bottled before supply.
The minister said once PNG connections are issued to consumers, their supply of LPG cylinders will be withdrawn.
Significantly, he disclosed that the central government will extend incentives to apartments and industrial units that opt for PNG supplies.
Manohar disclosed that PNG connections will be extended to prominent temples in the state, including in Tirupati, Vijayawada, Sri Kalahasti, Annavaram and Simhachalam, apart from Anna Canteens.
The Civil Supplies minister said as per directives of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, PNG connections will be extended to apartments, hotels, commercial establishments and industrial units within 24 hours of application. He went on to assure that a system will be developed to grant automatic permission to those seeking PNG connections.
Manohar maintained that consumers had not shown much interest in opting for PNG supplies, as the previous government had enhanced the GST on piped natural gas from five per cent to 25 per cent. He assured that efforts will be made to extend the Deepam subsidy even to PNG consumers.
The minister pointed out that under the Deepam scheme, one domestic LPG cylinder is issued once in four months to each of the beneficiaries. On shifting to PNG, the benefit of subsidy will be extended once in two months. He disclosed that for quantities of gas amounting to three cylinders, an amount of ₹2,400 will be remitted into the bank accounts of the PNG consumers under the direct benefit transfer scheme.
Manohar said there are nearly 94 lakh beneficiaries under the Deepam scheme in Andhra Pradesh.
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