BENGALURU: Apartments dotting the Outer Ring Road, JP Nagar and Kanakapura Road have been waiting to received Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for a few years now. Despite all the infrastructure for the connections provided up to their doorstep, the Gail Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has not been able to provide the gas as it did not get permission from the BBMP to dig some roads to lay a low pressure pipeline, said multiple homeowners.
A homeowner at Nagarajuna Premier apartment in J P Nagar VIth Phase said, “The connection has been given up to our doorstep. When I checked with GAIL, I was told they did not get the necessary permission from BBMP to lay a low pressure pipeline. Until that is laid, they will not be able to supply us PNG.”
He added that he has been waiting for the piped gas for four years now. “A total of 100 out of 126 flats in our residential complex have paid the initial fee of Rs 500 years ago and will pay the original charge of Rs 5,000 per household after the gas is supplied. The final fee may have increased and we are ready to pay that too. We are keen on switching to PNG as it is safer and economical over conventional gas.”
Abdul Aleem, president of Changemakers of Kanakapura Road and a resident of HM Tambourine Apartments, said households have been waiting for gas connections for quite some time now. “Our apartment and many others are still awaiting the promised gas supply. The connection has been laid for every flat, but there is some problem in supplying it,” he said.
BBMP Chief Engineer (Roads and Infrastructure) B S Prahalad said there has been delays by GAIL in the past to stick to the deadlines given by the BBMP to lay their infrastructure. “They could not meet the deadlines specified due to multiple reasons. We are not blaming them as they may have had issues. But they had to reapply for the permissions. We have given the same in 33 cases too. We have asked them to stick to deadlines this time around and to speed up everything.”
A source at GAIL said, “The issues with the BBMP have been sorted out now. We have even begun work in some places and work will proceed smoothly from now on.”