Patna: The Patna campus of BIT-Mesra is going to be the first where piped natural gas (PNG) will be supplied for cooking. Pipeline-laying work has been completed and now work on piling it from the main line to staff quarters and the mess is on.

The work is being done by the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), which is planning to launch gas supply in the city by October-November this year. "Of the areas where we can start PNG supply in the first phases, BIT's campus is the first because its administration has given us permission to carry out necessary work," a senior GAIL official told The Telegraph.

A total of 2km of pipeline has been laid on the campus for supplying PNG to 31 staff quarters, mess in four hostels, one canteen and the laboratories.

The gas at this campus will be pumped from the city gas station (CGS), which would be set up at Phulwarisharif area. A dedicated 1km long pipeline will be laid for connecting the city gas station with the BIT campus. The gas station will be connected to the main gas pipeline from Naubatpur, which is about 22km south of Phulwarisharif, and work on laying the pipeline to connect Naubatpur and Phulwarisharif is already under way.

Giving reasons for opting the PNG facility, BIT director Vijay Pratap Singh said: "Apart from being cheaper in comparison to LPG cylinders, the piped gas supply will also keep us free from getting cylinders replaced at our facilities." PNG comes at around Rs 23 per kg for consumers whereas in case of LPG cylinder, consumers pay around Rs 51.76 per kg without subsidy.

The BIT director said a memorandum of understanding will be signed between BIT and GAIL for formalising the understanding for commencing PNG supply to the campus.

The gas pipeline being laid in Bihar is part of the Jagdishpur-Haldia gas pipeline. The project entails laying of 2,000km of gas pipeline to touch Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal. Gas supply up to Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh has already been started.