Piped gas supply to Bathinda households misses deadline

BATHINDA :The project of supplying piped natural gas (PNG) to households in Bathinda city has missed its January 15 deadline, with officials blaming ongoing cold conditions for hampering the work of laying underground pipes.

The Gujarat State Petronet Limited (GSPL), a public sector undertaking, is laying pipes in four residential localities of the city — Sucha Singh Nagar, Hazura Kapura Colony, Kartar Colony and Homeland Colony — as part of the first phase.

In the first phase, the GSPL will lay a 35-km-long pipeline in Bathinda which will be the first city in the south Malwa region of Punjab to get PNG supply to households.

The consumers will pay as per the meter reading of the gas used.

In September 2017, the PSU had sought permission from the Bathinda MC for laying pipeline covering an estimated 200-km within city limits.

Bathinda municipal commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill said GSPL has completed the work of laying pipes in 1.9 km area of Kartar Colony. “The project is running behind the schedule but the GSPL has assured that gas supply will start in Kartar Colony from February 12. PNG will be available in the rest of the identified areas in the first phase soon. GSPL has also submitted a blueprint of extending piped gas supply in three more areas of the city,” said Shergill.

The GSPL has deposited ₹1.2 crore fee to the civic body before starting work of laying pipes, said a senior official. In 2017, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board had authorised five companies to lay the gas pipeline in Bathinda, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Rupnagar and SAS Nagar.

IN FIRST PHASE, FIRM TO LAY A 35-KM PIPELINE IN BATHINDA WHICH WILL BE FIRST CITY IN SOUTH MALWA REGION TO GET PNG SUPPLY TO HOUSEHOLDS