Parliament Question: Strengthening India's Energy Security and Infrastructure

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1954 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30th July, 2026 STRENGTHENING INDIA'S ENERGY SECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE 1954. SMT. ROOPKUMARI CHOUDHARY: पेट(cid:332)ोिलयम और (cid:366)ाकृ ितक गैस मं(cid:361)ी Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has undertaken any measures to strengthen India's natural gas infrastructure and energy security in view of recent global supply disruptions; (b) if so, the details thereof including the progress made in expanding City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks, pipeline infrastructure and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connectivity, State/UT- wise; (c) the steps taken to enhance domestic production of crude oil and natural gas, reduce import dependence and strengthen strategic petroleum reserves; (d) whether any financial or policy support has been extended to expedite CGD infrastructure and improve last-mile PNG connectivity, if so, the details thereof; and (e) the roadmap of the Government for increasing the share of natural gas in India's energy mix while ensuring affordable, reliable and uninterrupted supply across the country? ANSWER पेट(cid:332)ोिलयम और (cid:366)ाकृ ितक गैस मं(cid:361)ालय म(cid:336) रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी ((cid:373)ी सुरेश गोपी) MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI) (a) to (e) The Government have taken various steps to strengthen the Natural gas infrastructure which inter-alia, include setting up of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import and regasification infrastructure, expansion of National Gas Grid Pipeline and expansion of City Gas Distribution (CGD) network. Further, to strengthen energy security and minimise supply risks, India has significantly diversified its energy supplies. LNG sourcing has expanded from 6 countries to 15 countries. This diversification has reduced dependence on any particular country, region or transit route and enhanced India's ability to manage supply disruptions and market volatility. Government, in consultation with Public Sector Oil and Gas Companies and other stakeholders, continuously assesses global supply conditions and takes appropriate action to ensure uninterrupted availability of LNG. In order to deal with the middle east crisis, the Government also notified the Natural Gas (Supply Regulation) Order, 2026 on 09.03.2026 under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to regulate the production, allocation and distribution of natural gas and to ensure its equitable availability. TheOrder accorded priority in the allocation of natural gas to critical sectors, including PNG (Domestic) (100% of the average consumption during the preceding six months), CNG (Transport), LPG production and fertilizer, thereby ensuring continuity of essential services, energy security and public welfare. The said measures were temporary in nature and, in view of the improvement in the supply situation, were withdrawn vide notification dated 04.07.2026. Providing Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections and establishment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations is part of the development of City Gas Distribution (CGD) Network, which inter- alia include creation of pipeline infrastructure and other facilities for the supply of PNG to domestic, commercial and industrial units and CNG to transport sector is being carried out by the entities authorized by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB). The state-wise CGD progress, as on 31.05.2026, is at Annexure. The investment to develop the CGD network is made by authorized entity in accordance with the authorization by PNGRB and approved work programme. No funds are sanctioned or allocated by Government for implementation of the CGD project. The Government has undertaken a series of comprehensive policy, regulatory and fiscal measures to boost domestic crude oil and natural gas production and reduce dependency on imports with the objective of strengthening the country’s energy security and reducing foreign exchange expenditure through participation by both public and private sector companies, which, inter-alia, include reforms viz. legislative changes through the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Act, removal of No-Go restrictions in the country’s offshore areas, transition from Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) to Revenue Sharing Contracts (RSCs), massive investment in acquisition and processing of seismic data, increase in number of exploratory wells drilled etc. During the last decade over 3.5 lakh sq km of exploration acreages have been awarded. Government, through a Special Purpose Vehicle called Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL), have also established Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) facilities to act as buffer for short-term supply shocks. Under Phase-I, SPRs have been established at 3 locations in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka with a total capacity of 5.33 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of crude oil. In July 2021, Government had also approved the establishment of two additional commercial cum- strategic petroleum reserve facilities with total storage capacity of 6.5 MMT in Odisha and Karnataka, under Phase-II of the SPR program. Besides strengthening the natural gas infrastructure, Government has undertaken many steps to increase the share of natural gas in India’s energy mix and ensure affordable, reliable and uninterrupted supply which include allocation of domestic gas to Compressed Natural Gas (Transport)/ Piped Natural Gas (Domestic) CNG (T)/PNG(D) on priority, allowing marketing and pricing freedom with a ceiling price to gas produced from high pressure/high temperature areas, deep water & ultradeep water and from coal seams, Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative to promote Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) etc.The Government has notified a comprehensive control order dated 24.03.2026 under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to facilitate time-bound expansion of pipeline infrastructure across the country, especially CGD. The Order provides a uniform framework for grant of right of way (RoW) and permissions by mandating strict timelines, enabling deemed approvals in case of delays, and prohibiting imposition of unauthorized charges by public authorities. It also addresses access issues in residential and private areas by ensuring non-discriminatory and time-bound permissions, thereby removing key bottlenecks in pipeline laying. *****ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1954 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2026 REGARDING STRENGTHENING INDIA'S ENERGY SECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE. State/UT PNG (D) Connections CNG Stations (Nos.) Andhra Pradesh 298111 242 Arunachal Pradesh 0 0 Assam 78455 46 Bihar 329808 251 Chandigarh 34175 10 Chhattisgarh 20845 73 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 15194 6 Daman and Diu 5868 6 Delhi 1960727 458 Goa 20455 15 Gujarat 3908499 1108 Haryana 603123 608 Himachal Pradesh 14359 26 Jharkhand 196415 159 Karnataka 611203 520 Kerala 159687 254 Madhya Pradesh 336953 428 Maharashtra 4742692 1324 Manipur 0 0 Meghalaya 0 4 Mizoram 0 0 Nagaland 0 0 Odisha 190551 159 Puducherry 121 15 Punjab 143031 307 Rajasthan 544070 499 Sikkim 0 0 Tamil Nadu 140756 506 Telangana 264701 246 Tripura 71344 30 UT of Jammu & 0 3 Kashmir UT of Ladakh 0 0 Uttar Pradesh 2306333 1375 Uttarakhand 95496 57 West Bengal 162123 245 Total 17255095 8980(source: PNGRB)