New Delhi: Over 31 lakh households are connected with piped natural gas across the country and efforts are on to expand the city gas distribution networks (CGD), Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today.
"Government has prioritised domestic gas allocation for CGD entities and has issued guidelines wherein the entire requirement of the CGD entities for PNG (domestic) segment is being met through domestic gas," Sitharaman, replying on behalf of Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
The Minister said a total of 31,62,186 households are connected with piped natural gas, besides 29,993 industrial and commercial units are also currently given piped natural gas across the country.
"CGD network includes CNG/PNG network also. Requests are received from various state governments from time to time. Based on these requests, PMGRB has been considering the entire district as a geographical area for the development of CGD network so that PNG/CNG services can be made available in the cities and other parts of the district," she said.
Also taking up the issue petrol and diesel prices, Sitharaman said Prices of petrol were reduced 32 times and increased 21 times while diesel prices were slashed 19 times and raised 28 times since 2013.
"Since then, the public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) take appropriate decision on pricing of these products in line with their international and other market conditions," she said during Question Hour.
The Minister said since April 1, 2013, petrol prices were decreased 32 times and increased 21 times and diesel prices were decreased 19 times and increased 28 times.
"Other cost elements in the RSP of petrol and diesel viz. excise duty, BS-IV premium, marketing cost and margins etc. are specific costs which do not increase/decrease with the volatility in international prices of petrol and diesel.
"The element of excise duty which is specific in nature has been increased since November 2014. Most of the state governments have also increased VAT on petrol and diesel. After taking into account these factors, OMCs have passed on a major portion of the decrease in price to consumers of petrol and diesel," she said.
The Minister said the effective prices of PDS kerosene and subsidised domestic LPG have not been increased since June 25, 2011.
Sitharaman said the price of crude oil in the international market fluctuate depending on various factors including demand and supply of crude oil.
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