Tamil Nadu govt unveils policy for natural gas supply to households

CHENNAI: To speed up supply of piped natural gas to homes across Tamil Nadu, the state government has come up with a detailed policy and appointed the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (TIDCO) as the nodal agency. The target is 2.28 lakh domestic connections and 2,785 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations covering all 38 districts within eight years.
The Centre had given the first contracts to build city gas distribution (CGD) infrastructure in 2018, including for Chennai and neighbouring districts. The CGD network is being built in 15 districts and the contracts for the remaining 23 districts have also been authorised. Building CGD infrastructure will cost around 35,000 crore and create jobs for around 20,000 people, both directly and indirectly.
TIDCO to hold meetings monthly to check status of CGD works
Apart from the state-level nodal agency, the policy named district collectors as district-level nodal officers. TIDCO will hold meetings with the officials concerned on a monthly basis to check the status of CGD works.
"Currently, the CGD works are at a primordial stage. This policy aims at easing the hurdles faced by the CGD entities. Right now, they have to make visits to various departments, right from highways departments to local bodies, to get permission to lay pipes underground. The policy has come up with the framework to get those permits easier," said TIDCO managing director Jayashree Muralidharan.
Currently, just a few households in Nagapattinam district have piped natural gas connections.
In Chennai and Tiruvallur, Torrent Gas Chennai Private Limited (TGCPL) is supposed to create infrastructure for 33 lakh domestic connections and 222 CNG retail outlets. In Chengalpet and Kancheepuram, AG&P is supposed to create more than 1.15 lakh domestic connections.
The policy also aims at framing guidelines for state transport corporations to switch to CNG and encourage the possibilities of converting other vehicles such as cars, ambulances being utilised/engaged by the government departments.