The Madhya Pradesh High Court has sought clarification from the state government over claims that LPG cylinder supplies were stopped in some Bhopal colonies before piped natural gas (PNG) became available, putting the reliability of the fuel transition under scrutiny.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Alpesh Kogje and Justice Vivek Rusia raised the issue during the hearing of a petition filed by Akhil Bhartiya Upbhokta Congress. The petition alleged that LPG supplies had been stopped in some colonies along Ayodhya Bypass even though PNG connections were not yet available there.
Counsel for the petitioner, Aksa Muqquram, told the court that residents in the affected areas were facing a gap between the withdrawal of LPG access and the arrival of PNG supply. The claims named colonies located along the Ayodhya Bypass in Bhopal.
The bench expressed surprise at the allegation and asked the state government to clarify the actual position. The state government told the court that LPG supply had been stopped only in areas where PNG supply had already begun.
The government’s position places the central issue on the status of individual colonies: whether PNG had in fact become available before LPG supply was discontinued. The court directed the state counsel to verify the position in the colonies identified by the petitioner and inform it during the proceedings.
The case highlights the practical challenge involved in changing household fuel systems in expanding urban areas. While PNG is supplied through a fixed network, LPG cylinders remain a delivery-based source of cooking fuel. Any gap between the two systems can directly affect households that depend on uninterrupted access for daily cooking.
The dispute also places importance on how the transition is implemented at neighbourhood level. A broad statement that PNG has begun in a locality may not establish whether every household has received access or whether the network is operational across all the colonies covered by an LPG supply decision. The court’s direction seeks clarification on that specific ground reality.
For residents of the Ayodhya Bypass colonies named in the petition, the next stage will depend on the state’s verification and the information placed before the court. The available report does not establish the final status of LPG or PNG access in each colony.
The state counsel is expected to inform the High Court after verifying whether PNG supply had begun in the areas where LPG distribution was reportedly stopped.
