Lucknow, March 31 -- Chief secretary SP Goyal on Monday directed development authorities, including the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), to rope in resident welfare associations (RWAs) to encourage apartment dwellers to opt for piped natural gas (PNG) connections, as the state intensifies efforts to expand the city gas distribution (CGD) network across the state. The directive came during a meeting of the newly constituted state-level committee reviewing bottlenecks in the rollout of CGD infrastructure across cities. The push follows the Centre's advisory to scale up PNG coverage in urban areas in view of concerns over LPG supplies amid the ongoing West Asia crisis. Officials said the state had put in place a fast-track mechanism to resolve objections hindering pipeline laying. The committee, chaired by the chief secretary, is reviewing progress on alternate days. Ranveer Prasad, principal secretary (food and civil supplies) said that of the 214 objections flagged in the previous meeting, more than 100 had been resolved. "Out of 26 objections raised by PWD, 19 have been disposed of. All four objections from the irrigation department have been cleared, while nearly 70% issues flagged by nagar panchayats have been addressed," Prasad said, adding that the exercise would continue till all hurdles to laying CGD pipelines are eliminated. He flagged low consumer uptake as a parallel concern. "In Lucknow, several apartment complexes have pipeline connectivity, but only about 30% residents have taken PNG connections. Authorities like LDA have been asked to engage RWAs to persuade residents," he said. To strengthen implementation, district-level committees headed by district magistrates have been tasked with resolving on-ground issues, monitoring clearances and ensuring timely execution. These panels include officials from police, municipal bodies, development authorities, power utilities, transport departments and panchayats, along with gas companies. Matters that remain unresolved at the district level will be escalated to the state committee with recommendations. A structured review system has also been mandated under which district committees and the state-level panel will convene meetings regularly and frequently to ensure continuous monitoring. Officials said the initiative aims to cut delays arising from multiple approvals and coordination gaps, especially in urban areas where pipeline work involves road cutting, utility shifting and permissions from local bodies. The government expects the streamlined framework to accelerate PNG rollout, improve ease of doing business for CGD operators and expand access to cleaner fuel across Uttar Pradesh....