Hardeep Puri dedicates 166 CNG stations across 14 states

New Delhi [India], July 16 (ANI): Taking a significant step toward building a Natural Gas-based economy, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday dedicated 166 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations to service of the community.
These CNG stations have been set up by GAIL (India) Limited and nine of its group City Gas Distribution (CGD) companies in 41 Geographical Areas (GAs) across 14 states.
"It is a key step in expanding the availability of environment-friendly CNG to the transport sector, households and Industry in India. It'll incentivise the market for CNG vehicles and will have an exponential impact on manufacturing, skill development and employment generation," said Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
"In 2014 the country had only about 900 CNG stations. Today we have 4500 CNG stations with plans to take this number to 8000 in the next 2 years. The number of PNG connections has also crossed 95 lakhs as compared to about 24 lakhs in 2014," added Hardeep Singh Puri.
The stations were dedicated via video link by Puri at a function here in the presence of Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Labour and Employment Rameswar Teli, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Pankaj Jain and senior officials of the Ministry and Oil and Gas companies.
The Minister congratulated GAIL and all the participating CGD entities for the expansion of the CNG station network.
He stated that these CNG stations commissioned at the cost of Rs 400 Crore will further strengthen the gas-based infrastructure and availability of cleaner fuel in the country.
He further stated that as compared to 2014 when there were about 900 CNG stations, currently the number of CNG stations has crossed 4500, and will be ramped up to 8000 in the next two years.
The number of PNG connections have also now crossed 95 lakhs as compared to about 24 lakhs in the year 2014.
Puri emphasized that the rollout of CNG on such a scale is expected to incentivise the market for CNG vehicles and will have an exponential impact in terms of manufacturing, skill development and employment generation.
These CNG stations will provide direct employment to about 1,000 persons, said the government.
Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Labour and Employment Shri Rameswar Teli said, "The Government is taking a series of measures to encourage greater use of environment-friendly fuel across the country."
Puri also visited the exhibition on the Promotion of CNG and LNG-based Clean Mobility Technology Vehicles organized by SIAM.
During the interaction, he emphasized the need to reduce vehicular emissions through the adoption of cleaner fuel and technology in the automotive sector.
He stressed the need for enhanced coverage of CNG and LNG vehicles and requested the automotive companies to ensure the availability of CNG or LNG vehicles on pan India basis.
After the completion of ongoing CGD development in GAs awarded under the 11th& 11th A CGD bidding round of Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board, 98% of India's population and 88% of its geographical area will have access to Natural Gas.
Today's dedication ceremony is an important step in expanding the availability of environment-friendly and convenient fuel Natural Gas to the transport sector, households and Industry in the country. Natural Gas is also safer and more economical as compared to most conventional fuels.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set an ambitious target of expanding the share of Natural Gas in the primary energy mix to 15 per cent to usher in a gas-based economy.
The development of a gas-based economy is expected to play a key role in achieving India's target of net zero by 2070. (ANI)