DK Sarraf on mission to revive dormant PNGRB

Vol 21, PW 7 (11 Jan 18) Midstream & Downstream

DK Sarraf, former ONGC chief and new PNGRB chairman, is burning the midnight oil to ensure more than 50 geographical areas are offered in the next retail gas licensing round.

Insiders tell us Sarraf and fellow PNGRB colleagues are determined to revive the sleepy gas regulator and kick-start the sector which has seen little or no activity for more than a year. Sarraf took over as third chairman of the PNGRB in December and since then has won the hearts and minds of staff and impressed gas retailers with his professionalism.

"He has energised the office," we hear. "He walks with purpose in his stride and it's the same when he walks from his cabin to the conference room for meetings.

For the first time in years we are seeing some real action." If all goes to plan, expect the PNGRB to launch CGD-IX by June 2018 targeting areas with poor piped gas connectivity in large states Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar. "This could be the biggest round we've seen to date," reveals a senior PNGRB source.

Until now only CGD-VI was as ambitious, with 34 areas. Since the PNGRB was set up ten years ago six areas were offered in round one; seven in round two; eight in round three; 14 in round four; 20 in round five; just five in round seven and seven in round eight.

Sarraf and former OVL director finance Satpal Garg are the most active of four Members on the PNGRB board and ask pointed questions during meetings. "He (Sarraf) reads everything in detail," we hear. Gone are the days when gas retailers acted at will. Today, they behave themselves and come in prepared to answer queries. "Both Sarraf and Garg have upstream backgrounds," we hear. "But their grasp of the downstream sector is remarkable." As former ONGC colleagues, Sarraf and Garg, both chartered accountants, work well together. Sarraf is also working feverishly to publish a new safety rule book for the oil and gas industry that merges those PNGRB guidelines that overlap OIDB (Oil Industry Safety Directorate) rules. Another priority is to find a permanent home for the PNGRB, at present in a leased office in the World Trade Centre in Delhi, where the yearly rent is Rs75 lakhs ($118,000). Earlier there was talk the office would move to the OIDB building in Noida. "But the PNGRB Act says the office must be centrally located in Delhi," we hear.

DK Sarraf on mission to revive dormant PNGRB

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