With state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) losing an estimated Rs 690 on every domestic LPG cylinder sold — translating into nearly Rs 1.38 lakh crore annually — the Centre has launched a nationwide push to shift households from LPG to piped natural gas (PNG) in areas where city gas infrastructure is already available. In a letter to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, Petroleum Secretary Neeraj Mittal said recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz region have necessitated accelerated measures to reduce dependence on LPG and promote PNG as an alternative cooking fuel.