Nagpur: The cost of CNG in the city is Rs 116 per kg which is the highest in the country. The rate is also Rs 10 more than a litre of petrol. In Nagpur, CNG is distributed by Haryana City Gas (KCE) Private Ltd (HCG).
Regular customers at HCG’s station at Wadi said the rate was Rs 110 per kg a day ago. On Tuesday, the price of petrol was Rs 106.05 per litre in the city.
As per information available on websites, CNG was available at Rs 75.61 per kg in New Delhi, Rs 80 in Mumbai and below Rs 93 per kg in the rest of India. In Nagpur, around 5 metric tonne (MT) of CNG is sold every day.
On March 29, TOI reported that the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) had issued a license to HCG for Nagpur district and the company was planning to open 700 pumps in eight years.
A motorist said it is “unfortunate that CNG costs more than petrol”. “I bought a car that runs on CNG (and petrol) due to its availability, more mileage and is eco-friendly,” he said. The rise in prices will also affect city bus service of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). Till now, the civic body had converted 70 standard-sized city buses from diesel to gas through private operators.
HCG has taken over four CNG stations set up by Rawmatt Industries Pvt Ltd in the district around one and a half months ago. HCG general manager (commercial) Varun Chaturvedi said the rates will come down once the company begins to get gas from GAIL Limited through pipeline.
According to Chaturvedi, the prices are high due to “various reasons”. “Rawmatt was transporting gas from Dahej (Gujarat) around 900km from here. We have to continue with the same system. Also, gas prices have been increased by the government by 4.5 times in the last three months,” he said.
While GAIL’s pipeline laying work is on, HCG is doing the same from Butibori to MIHAN to city. “We are a gas-deficit country. GAIL imports from a Russia-based contractor who has defaulted. Therefore, there is shortage and price rise,” he said.
HCG is also planning to open more NG pumps once the gas supply stabilises. “We are in talks with HPCL and BPCL for getting space in their existing pumps,” said Chaturvedi.
