HCG Nagpur Pvt Ltd, which has been awarded the contract to distribute piped natural gas (PNG) in the district, is facing an unexpected challenge as many housing societies are reluctant to allow company staff to lay gas pipelines within their premises.
Despite clear directions from the Central government to shift to PNG, many residents continue to use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders. Kumar Ashirwad has issued several notices to housing societies, asking them to switch to PNG in accordance with government orders.
Sources in the company said the gas pipeline network now covers Butibori, Jamtha and MIHAN, while work is progressing rapidly towards Hingna MIDC.
“So far, we have provided more than 500 domestic connections. Following the collector’s notices, the number is expected to rise significantly in the coming days,” a company official said.
The official added that such hesitation is natural as PNG is still a new fuel option for people in Nagpur. “There are several misconceptions about PNG. Many people are also unwilling to surrender their LPG connections for different reasons. However, our staff members are interacting with society office-bearers and addressing their concerns,” he said.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) had awarded the contract for PNG and CNG distribution in Nagpur district to HCG in February 2022. However, due to delays in completing the Mumbai-Nagpur gas pipeline by Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), HCG’s mother station became operational only in December 2025.
Since then, the company has accelerated pipeline-laying work and has so far completed more than 150 kilometres of the network.
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