Dec 2022 deadline long over, PNG supply still a distant dream for Sambhajinagar residents

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: For the residents of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the much-promised piped natural gas (PNG) network, once touted as a game-changer, remains an elusive dream. The official deadline of Dec 2022 has long faded into memory, but the pipelines buried under the city's roads still remain cold and lifeless.Resident Abhijeet Ranjangaokar points to the pipeline installed at his home almost two years ago, which has since remained untouched, unused and slowly turning into a symbol of official apathy. "The pipeline and the meter have become nothing but showpieces. If they lie idle any longer, they may start developing wear and tear. It feels like a mockery. Residents are made to wait endlessly for even the most basic civic facilities," he said.Announcing the PNG supply scheme for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in March 2022, Rajya Sabha member of BJP and then Union minister of state, Bhagwat Karad had said the city would get supply by Dec 2022. As per then official plans, around 3 lakh connections were to get issued over five years.Karad cited technical issues for delay in providing the PNG supply to Sambhajinagar. "The main pipeline was supposed to pass through Ahilyanagar district, but a section of farmers, along with a local elected representative, opposed it. Then the municipal corporation demanded Rs 350 crore from the gas firm as road-digging charges," he said.As LPG shortage intensifies, so does public anger. Many residents now openly accuse their elected representatives of repeatedly failing the city. "We wait endlessly for better water supply, a functional metro, airport expansion, with PNG now joining this endless wishlist," said Suhas Patil, a private professional. "Perhaps the residents should boycott all future elections. Maybe that's the only language authorities will understand," he said.Amid this growing unrest, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited officials say the city will have to wait at least another year for meaningful PNG coverage. "At present, we have started supply for about 1,500 consumers in a few municipal zones and Waluj. Around 1.5 lakh consumers are expected to get supply over the next year as the infrastructure expands," BPCL territory manager Manoj Kumar Jadhav said.The geographical area covering Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Ahilyanagar was awarded to BPCL's wholly‑owned subsidiary, Bharat Gas Resources Ltd, during the 9th PNGRB bidding round. In the first five years, the company is expected to lay nearly 350 km of steel pipelines across a massive 27,178 sq km expanse — an ambition that seems far removed from the slow-moving reality on the ground.