In order to address consumer grievances, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is planning to set up an Ombudsman, said Anil Kumar Jain, chairperson, PNGRB, Wednesday.

“We had made a committee under the chairmanship of former finance secretary Ratan Watal. We had asked them what all can be done for consumer protection. About 10 days ago we got a report and now we plan to set up an Ombudsman like the one that exists in the banking, electricity and insurance sectors. We have jurisdiction on petroleum and gas and we will ensure people get convenience at petrol pumps and grievances are also solved,” Jain said during a media interaction held on the sidelines of the 2nd National Conclave on Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Infrastructure at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

“We have a provision in our act to protect consumer rights. With regard to prices of natural gas, we only have the power to monitor them, if the government directs us to do so. So far we have not been directed by the government to monitor prices. For this the government will have to notify the products for which the monitoring has to be done... We also do not fix the prices of PNG or CNG,” he added.

Published on March 26, 2025