Bhubaneswar: A high-level meeting chaired jointly by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra and Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra reviewed measures on Thursday to streamline the supply of LPG and petroleum products across the state.
The meeting focused on accelerating the transition to Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and strengthening digital safeguards to ensure transparency in distribution.
Officials said gas agencies have been directed to implement biometric authentication, including fingerprint and iris verification, for all deliveries to curb irregularities and prevent black marketing. Minister Patra warned that strict action would be taken against any supply chain violations.
Authorities clarified that households receiving PNG connections will have their LPG connections decommissioned to optimise resource use. District Collectors have been asked to extend full administrative support to gas companies for the timely pipeline infrastructure development.
Minister Mahapatra said urban areas need to reduce dependence on LPG and move towards PNG. He directed government offices and commercial establishments to adopt PNG connections and said the department will provide faster approvals for the transition.
He also instructed officials to prioritise PNG infrastructure development in Puri ahead of the upcoming Rath Yatra to meet increased demand during the festival period.
Principal Secretary of the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department Sanjay Kumar Singh said agencies must ensure full compliance with the Delivery Authentication Code system to prevent false delivery notifications. He added that the government is closely monitoring supply through a 24-hour control room and assured that there is no shortage of gas.
Officials from oil companies informed that a five-day buffer stock is being maintained and real-time inventory data is being shared with the department. They added that priority sectors such as schools, anganwadis, Aahar centres, and hospitals will receive uninterrupted gas supply.
