NEW DELHI, Nov 27: Oil regulator PNGRB has added Mizoram
to the areas it has offered for bidding for a licence to retail CNG
and piped cooking gas in the latest city gas bid round.
In a notice, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board
(PNGRB) said in continuation of the bids invited on October 13
for the development of the city gas distribution network for
seven geographical areas, electronic bids are invited for the
same in the state of Mizoram.
Last date of bidding is February 23, it said.
PNGRB had offered seven geographical areas (GAs) of
Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim,
Union territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh under the
12th city gas distribution (CGD) bidding round for retailing of
CNG to automobiles and piping the fuel to household kitchens
and industries.
Mizoram was also identified to be part of the bid round but it
was included as assembly elections had been announced and a
clearance from the Election Commission was needed to be
obtained.
Polling concluded in Mizoram on November 7.
There are 300 authorised Gas by PNGRB covering around 88
per cent of the country’s geographical area and 98 per cent of
its population.
On successful completion of the current bid round, India’s
entire area and population will be covered except the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
The bid round is part of the government’s aim to promote the
use of natural gas as a fuel/feedstock across the country to
increase its share in primary energy mix from the current level
of 6.2 per cent to 15 per cent by 2030.
A presentation by the regulator at the launch of 12th bid round
last month stated that an investment of USD 4.5 billion is
expected in the development of city gas infrastructure in the
areas being bid out.
The country has 1.15 crore house kitchens connected with
piped natural gas. There are some 5,900 CNG stations in the
country.
The city gas sector consumes about 35 million standard cubic
meters per day or 22 per cent of all gas consumed in the
country.
In the last 11th and 11A CGD bidding rounds, PNGRB authorised
67 GAs for the development of the CGD network in the country.
(PTI)
