Bhubaneswar: In a significant step towards strengthening urban utility infrastructure and promoting clean energy adoption, Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department has initiated the process for framing a comprehensive City Gas Distribution (CGD) Policy.
In a high-level consultative meeting was held Friday, under the chairpersonship of H&UD Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee, with leading energy stakeholders, including Indian Oil Corporation Limited and GAIL. The meeting deliberated on a strategic roadmap for the expansion of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) across the state, with a focus on building a future-ready and citizen-centric policy framework aligned with the state’s long-term development goals. Chairing the meeting, Padhee emphasised the need for an aspirational yet practical policy architecture to support the rapid expansion of city gas distribution networks across urban Odisha.
She highlighted that the proposed policy would play a pivotal role in enhancing access to clean, efficient and reliable energy, while contributing to sustainable urban development and improved service delivery. She further reiterated that the state is committed to designing a futuristic policy in the best interest of the public, which will simplify processes, accelerate infrastructure rollout, and significantly enhance the ease of living for citizens across urban centres.
The deliberations focused on key components of the proposed policy, including streamlining permissions, rationalising licence fees, introducing single-window clearance systems, and operationalising deemed approval mechanisms. Discussions also covered adoption frameworks, institutional coordination, and service delivery systems to ensure seamless implementation.
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