PNGRB invites bids for CNG retailing licences in 34 cities

New Delhi: Oil regulator PNGRB has invited bids for giving CNG retailing licences in 34 cities, including Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Bhatinda in Punjab.

While it is yet to award licences for previous round of bidding that happened in June this year, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has invited bids for development of City Gas Distribution network in 34 cities.

In a notice, PNGRB invited bids for cities in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryna, Punjab and Goa.

In Gujarat, bids have been invited for allowing retailing of CNG to automobiles and piped cooking gas to households in Dahod, Patan, Banashantha, Amreli, Dahej-Vagra Taluka, Ahmedabad, Anand and Panchmahal.

Licences for Auraiya, Nainital, Baghpat, Amethi, Etawah, Saharanpur, Raebareli, Manipuri and Ramabai Nagar in Uttar Pradesh are also up for grab.

Besides, licences for Bhiwani, Yamunagar, Rewari and Rohtak in Haryana, are on offer.

Bids have also been invited for CGD licences for Jhabhua, Dhar, Rewa and Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh, Ahmadnagar in Maharashtra, Chitradurga and Gadag in Karnataka, Bhatinda, Rupnagar and Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab and North Goa.

Last date of bidding is December 14, PNGRB said.

The 5th round of CGD licence bidding had received lukewarm response with no bids being received for eight out of the 20 cities on offer while single bids came in for two others.

Indian Oil Corp-Adani Gas combine has bid for a licence to retail CNG in five cities.

State gas utility GAIL India Ltd, through its subsidiary GAIL Gas, bid for three.

Bidders were asked to quote the tariff they will charge for the pipeline network to be laid in the city and the compression charge for dispensing CNG (compressed natural gas) over the 25 years.

They were also asked to quote the inch-km of steel pipelines they will lay during first five years and the number of domestic consumers proposed to be connected by piped natural gas, according to the regulator.

Fourteen cities offered in the fourth round announced in October 2013 are yet to be awarded licences.

The third round of bidding was opened in July, 2010 and concluded in February, 2011 (after extension), but final awards of some cities are yet to be made because of certain litigation involving PNGRB and a few other parties.