The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas setting a three-month deadline for disconnection of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) connections for households in areas with Piped Natural Gas (PNG) if they fail to switch to PNG connections within the deadline is aimed at prioritizing supply of LPG cylinders to underserved areas in the wake of LPG shortage resulting from supply choke at the Strait of Hormuz. The Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution (Through Laying, Building, Operation, and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Order, 2026, notified by the ministry yesterday, has set this deadline. The notification states that constraints are being faced and are expected to be faced for a long time in relation to the supply and distribution of both LPG and natural gas on account of extensive damage to and suspension of operations of the liquefaction facilities in the Gulf region, which require fuel diversification as a mitigation of long-term energy security. The push for an LPG to PNG switch puts the spotlight on the slow pace of PNG domestic connections in Assam, especially in Guwahati. The new order follows the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Amendment Order, 2026, notified by the ministry on March 14, which mandates households having both LPG and PNG connections to immediately surrender their domestic LPG connection. Even though the government has been appealing to LPG consumers not to panic and reiterated that adequate stocks are available in the country while setting refill booking timelines—25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural areas—long queues outside distributors indicate that capping the frequency of cylinder purchases has triggered apprehension among consumers of a supply shortage in the coming days, and they want to secure their cylinders. However, the shortage of commercial cylinders has adversely affected the normal business of restaurants in the state, and a large number of them are staring at the possibility of shutdown if disruption in the supply of cylinders persists for a longer period. PNG being supplied through a pipeline frees the consumers from the hassles of booking, handling, and storing LPG cylinders. Apart from being a safer fuel for cooking, it also helps the consumer save on cooking gas consumption when compared to the cost of LPG consumption. Increased PNG connections lead to reduced transportation of LPG cylinders from bottling plants to distributors by truck and reduced carbon emissions, which makes increasing PNG connections a pragmatic choice when also viewed from climate action goals. Besides, PNG eliminates hoarding of domestic and commercial cylinders and prevents leakage in the supply chain. Ironically, despite the advantages, PNG is yet to be commissioned in most localities of Guwahati, while domestic PNG connections in a few upper Assam districts are also limited to less than 65,000. Providing PNG connections and the establishment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations are part of the development of City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks, which is carried out by the entities authorized by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB). Initiatives to expand the PNG infrastructure in the state in phases by Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL), Purba Bharati Gas Private Limited (PBGPL), and North East Gas Distribution Company Limited (NEGDCL) across seven districts—Kamrup (Metropolitan), Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Golaghat, and Tezpur—is good news. The government has decided to issue about 12,500 new PNG connections in areas where pipeline infrastructure is available. This will facilitate 6000 new PNG connections in several localities in Guwahati. More emphasis needs to be laid on timely execution of the PNG expansion project—laying of the pipeline. Even though more than 30,000 households in the capital city have already registered for PNG connections, the delay in the Guwahati-Barauni pipeline project led to the city missing the 2021 deadline of providing PNG connections to these households. Expeditious completion of the PNG connection projects in the Kamrup (Metropolitan) and Kamrup districts will facilitate improving the supply of LPG cylinders in rural Assam. The Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution (Through Laying, Building, Operation, and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Order, 2026, is expected to expedite pipeline laying for PNG projects as it has made time-bound issuance of administrative approval to projects, removing hurdles in getting right of way for pipelines and removing many other hurdles. The order mentions that the owner or occupier of the relevant land comprising the public area or housing area or non-public area in respect of which a right of way or right of use or permission has been granted for such pipelines shall not construct any building or any other structure on such land, construct on or excavate such land, or plant any tree on such land. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the citizens to be prepared to face the long-term impact of the West Asia war, the order issued by the Petroleum Ministry is a reminder for Assam to accord top priority to expediting all PNG projects.