New Delhi [India], March 6 (ANI): Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, on Thursday, inaugurated the office of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) in New Delhi.

On inaugurating the office of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, 'I congratulate them. They have moved into the new office complex; it is a world-class office complex. An independent regulator is important for the functioning of the energy sector. Our energy sector is growing from strength to strength. So I congratulate everyone.'

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) was constituted under The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, notified via Gazette Notification dated 31st March 2006.

The Act provides for the establishment of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board to protect the interests of consumers and entities engaged in specified activities relating to petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas and to promote competitive markets and matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Further, as enshrined in the act, the board has also been mandated to regulate the refining, processing, storage, transportation, distribution, marketing and sale of petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas, excluding the production of crude oil and natural gas, so as to ensure an uninterrupted and adequate supply of petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas in all parts of the country.

According to the latest official information, PNGRB has authorised 307 geographical areas for the development of CGD infrastructure with a potential coverage of about 100 percent of the country's area and 100 percent of the population.

As of 30.09.2024, the total number of PNG (D) connections and CNG stations in the country was 1.36 Cr and 7259, respectively.

To provide the Unified Tariff for natural gas pipelines, PNGRB has amended PNGRB (Determination of Natural Gas Pipeline Tariff) Regulations to incorporate the regulations pertaining to Unified Tariff for natural gas pipelines with a mission of 'One Nation, One Grid and One tariff'. (ANI)