Surat assured of fuel & gas supply amid global tensions

Surat | Gujarat — In order to make the quantity of petrol-diesel-gas and other essential commodities easily available in Surat district and to make the distribution system uninterrupted and smooth, a review meeting was held at Surat District Seva Sadan under the chairmanship of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd. MD Avantika Singh.

In the meeting, Avantika Singh said that at present, sufficient quantities of essential commodities including gas, petrol, diesel, fertilizer are available in the entire state. Arrangements have been made to ensure that this supply is available in sufficient quantity in the future as well.

She said that considering the prevailing war situation in the Middle East, the district administration and the municipal officials are working in a coordinated manner and ensuring that the people get the supply of essential commodities easily, due to which the distribution of gas and essential commodities is being done easily in Surat district, and he appreciated the teamwork.

Singh said that there are 15.20 lakh domestic PNG (piped natural gas) connections in Surat city. The government is in constant coordination with the oil and gas companies to ensure that those who do not have any problem in getting regular gas supply. In addition, a discount of Rs. 500 will be given to the customers who apply for a new domestic PNG connection by June 30 in areas where gas lines are available. After the connection is installed, a credit of Rs. 500 will be given in the bill.

The central government has given guidelines to give priority to PNG connections in the state, which should be implemented quickly in the state and new PNG connections should be provided immediately. Especially educational institutions and hospitals are being given priority in such connections along with residences. 

In Surat city district, a total of 1805 applications for commercial PNG in schools-colleges, hospitals, old age homes, orphanages, dairy industry, railway canteens, hotel restaurants, religious institutions, industrial-corporate canteens etc., applications of 39 hospitals, 16 railway canteens have been approved. Out of which, gas cylinders are being provided for the use of various industrial units and for cooking food for company workers in the canteens/mess in them, as per their requirements, especially PNG connections are being given priority in industrial or socio-religious community kitchens, summer hostels, hospitals.

District Supply Officer  Darshan Shah gave details that the supply of 5 kg and 3 kg gas cylinders has been started by all the dealers of HPCL, BPCL and IOCL supplying gas cylinders and the new process for PNG pipeline connection has been simplified and the period of 45 days has been reduced to only 7 days.

The meeting was attended by District Collector Dr. Saurabh Pardhi, Municipal Commissioner  M. Nagarajan, Resident Additional Collector Vijay Rabari, Municipal Commissioner Dinesh Gurav, Joint Information Director Arvind Machar, District Supply Officer  Darshan Shah, representatives of oil and gas distribution companies and officials of various departments.