Lucknow, March 31 -- Amid concern over messages suggesting that households with piped natural gas (PNG) connections must surrender their LPG cylinders, officials have clarified that no such directive is currently being enforced. With the state preparing for expansion of PNG infrastructure on a war footing, committees have been formed at both the state and local levels to oversee the rollout, and material procurement has already begun. Urging residents not to panic, the authorities said any proposal to rationalise LPG usage is far from final. They clarified that reports about mandatory surrender of LPG cylinders are premature. Though there is a government order to rationalise LPG usage in households with PNG connections, its practical aspects are yet to be examined; therefore, no immediate enforcement is planned, they said. Practical challenges, such as multiple kitchens in homes or temporary relocation to areas without PNG, must be addressed before any policy is finalised, the authorities said. "Consumer convenience and real-life usage patterns are key considerations," an official said. Green Gas Limited has introduced a provision on its website for voluntary surrender of LPG cylinders, but stressed that any such move will depend entirely on consumer choice. Officials emphasised that such ground-level realities make it difficult to impose a blanket rule. "The policy cannot be implemented without addressing genuine consumer needs," a source said, adding that any future directive would be issued through official channels with clear guidelines. Girija Shankar, managing director of Green Gas Limited, said the company has added an option on its website for voluntary surrender of LPG cylinders, but stressed that no action will be taken without consumer consent. "Consumers are the best judges of their needs. Any step will only follow detailed consideration," he said. The groundwork for large-scale PNG expansion is currently being prepared, he added. "Pipeline laying is a sensitive and highly technical process. These are high-pressure lines carrying inflammable gas, so safety and quality standards are critical. This is not comparable to laying water pipelines," he said. At present, 11 contractors in Lucknow and four in Agra are working with around 25 teams on the ground for giving PNG connections to households. The company plans to scale this up to 50 teams and eventually 100 teams to accelerate the pace of connections. Additionally, 14 teams are engaged in pipeline laying operations. The current capacity of providing PNG connections-around 30 per day-is set to increase sharply to 250-300 connections daily. The company has set a target of delivering 25,000 new connections over the next three months and expanding to 1 lakh connections within a year in Lucknow and Agra. As part of the next phase, work is scheduled to begin in Butler Colony from next month, with necessary infrastructure and materials already being procured....