In the wake of the ongoing US-Iran conflict and its aftermath, residents of Gaya are increasingly looking towards piped natural gas (PNG) connections to meet their kitchen fuel needs, as the city grapples with an LPG shortage.
The responsibility of providing PNG connections to cooking gas consumers in Gaya district has been jointly assigned to Indian Oil Corporation and Adani Gas. Recently, work on the project has gained significant momentum.
Progress of PNG Connections in Gaya
According to Aman Rao, senior engineer in charge of the PNG project, work is underway in several localities including Shastri Nagar, Magadh Colony, Siddharth Puri, Ashok Vihar, and SS Colony. A total of 2,200 PNG connections have already been made operational, and by the end of 2026, approximately 2,800 more households are expected to receive PNG supply.
When asked about the earlier projection of 10,000 PNG households in Gaya, Rao explained that his team is also engaged in PNG work in Nalanda district, and the 10,000 figure includes connections in both Gaya and Nalanda.
Pending Areas and Hotel Connections
Regarding progress in localities such as AP Colony, White House Compound, Housing Board Colony, and New Area, Rao stated that work in these areas will be taken up at a later stage, as pipe laying has not yet commenced. He also noted that hotels are receiving preferential treatment for PNG connections, with a couple of hotels in Bodh Gaya having already switched to PNG.
However, Arvind Kumar, a prominent hotelier in Gaya, expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of PNG supply to hotels, calling for acceleration. He mentioned that his hotel has adopted a hybrid kitchen, using both LPG and coal as fuel.
LPG Consumer Statistics
According to official data, the district has 7,90,941 LPG consumers, supplied through 67 distributors. Bharat Petroleum leads with 27 agencies, followed by Indian Oil with 24 and Hindustan Petroleum with 16.
