Rajasthan targets 43,000 PNG connections in 45 days, sets 1,000-a-day pace
Synopsis
Rajasthan's top bureaucrat has put CGD companies on a 45-day clock: connect 43,000 more households to piped natural gas by June-end, at 1,000 connections a day. With 1,53,000 homes already on PNG and a push to eliminate LPG cylinders entirely from designated zones, the state is making its most aggressive gas infrastructure bet yet.
Key Takeaways
Rajasthan Chief Secretary V.
Srinivas set a target of 1,000 PNG household connections per day on 14 May 2025 .
43,000 households must be connected to Piped Natural Gas (PNG) within 45 days , by end of June 2025 .
The state currently has 490 CNG stations and PNG coverage for 1,53,000 households and 1,380 commercial/industrial units .
ITIs directed to supply 5,000 trained plumbers to Rajasthan State Gas Limited for deployment on domestic connections.
CGD entities from all 13 operating companies attended the review; regular progress monitoring mandated.
Designated LPG-free zones to be formally identified and declared in coordination with Central government guidelines.
Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas on Thursday, 14 May directed all City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities in the state to sharply accelerate the rollout of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections, setting a daily target of 1,000 household connections. The directive requires 43,000 households to be brought under PNG coverage within 45 days — by the end of June 2025.
Key Directives from the Meeting
Chairing the State-Level CGD Committee meeting at the Secretariat's Chintan Kaksh in Jaipur, Srinivas instructed that households in areas where pipeline infrastructure is already in place must be prioritised for immediate connections. Representatives from all 13 CGD entities operating in Rajasthan participated in the review. The Chief Secretary also mandated regular progress reviews to ensure accountability against the set targets.
Srinivas directed CGD entities to mount intensive public awareness campaigns — including through social media — and to organise on-ground connection camps to speed up household onboarding. He emphasised PNG's key advantages over LPG: 24x7 uninterrupted supply, elimination of cylinder booking, doorstep convenience, safety, and cost efficiency.
Where Rajasthan Stands Today
According to the progress update presented at the meeting, Rajasthan currently has 490 CNG stations operational across the state. PNG connections have been extended to 1,380 commercial and industrial units and 1,53,000 households. The new targets represent a significant step-up from the current pace of rollout.
Rajasthan State Gas Limited (RSGL) Managing Director Vinay Patni informed the meeting that RSGL, in collaboration with IIT Kota, has been conducting workshops for plumbers to build skilled manpower and generate employment for youth.
Skilled Workforce and LPG-Free Zones
To support the accelerated rollout, Srinivas directed Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to provide a list of 5,000 trained plumbers to Rajasthan State Gas Limited for training and deployment on domestic PNG connections.
Rajasthan Additional Chief Secretary (Mines and Petroleum) Aparna Arora instructed CGD entities to identify LPG-free areas in coordination with relevant departments so that these zones can be formally declared as LPG-free in line with Central government guidelines. She also stressed expanding PNG services beyond households to commercial and industrial consumers.
Broader Policy Push
Both the Centre and the Rajasthan government are actively promoting the shift from LPG cylinders to PNG and the creation of designated 'LPG-free zones' — a policy thrust that gives the 45-day deadline its political urgency. Additional Chief Secretaries Bhaskar Sawant (Home) and Alok Gupta (Urban Development) also contributed suggestions on strengthening and expanding the PNG network across the state.
Senior officials including Suresh Ola, Namrata Vrishni, and Avdhesh Singh, along with representatives from the Finance, Food and Civil Supplies, Transport, and Petroleum departments, attended the meeting. With a hard deadline set and daily targets now in place, the pace of Rajasthan's gas infrastructure expansion is set to be closely watched over the coming weeks.
Point of View
Connecting 43,000 additional households requires more than doubling throughput overnight. The real bottleneck is not pipeline infrastructure, which is already partly in place, but last-mile manpower: the directive to ITIs to supply 5,000 plumbers signals that the state knows this. What is less clear is whether CGD entities — many of them private concessionaires with their own commercial calculus — can be held to a government-set daily target without a credible enforcement mechanism. The LPG-free zone ambition is politically attractive but logistically complex; declaring a zone LPG-free before PNG supply is truly reliable risks public backlash that could set the programme back.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rajasthan's PNG connection target for 2025?
Rajasthan has set a target of connecting 43,000 additional households to Piped Natural Gas (PNG) within 45 days — by the end of June 2025 — at an average pace of 1,000 connections per day. The directive was issued by Chief Secretary V. Srinivas at a State-Level CGD Committee meeting on 14 May 2025.
How many PNG and CNG connections does Rajasthan have currently?
As of the 14 May 2025 meeting, Rajasthan has 490 CNG stations operational and PNG connections covering 1,53,000 households and 1,380 commercial and industrial units across the state.
What are LPG-free zones and how will Rajasthan create them?
LPG-free zones are designated areas where piped natural gas replaces LPG cylinders entirely, as per Central government guidelines. Rajasthan's Additional Chief Secretary (Mines and Petroleum) Aparna Arora has directed CGD entities to identify such areas in coordination with relevant departments so they can be formally declared LPG-free.
How is Rajasthan addressing the manpower shortage for PNG rollout?
Chief Secretary V. Srinivas has directed Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to provide a list of 5,000 trained plumbers to Rajasthan State Gas Limited (RSGL) for training and deployment on domestic PNG connections. RSGL has also partnered with IIT Kota to conduct plumber workshops aimed at building skilled manpower.
Why is the government pushing PNG over LPG?
Both the Centre and the Rajasthan state government are promoting PNG as a safer, more cost-efficient, and more convenient alternative to LPG cylinders. PNG offers 24x7 uninterrupted supply, eliminates the need for cylinder booking, and removes the logistical burden of home delivery — factors officials cited as key reasons for accelerating the transition.
