Majuli (Assam), Feb 26 (.) With huge employment opportunities emerging within India’s City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector, a six-month residential training programme that concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony here on Thursday, provided over 60 trainees from districts across Assam with structured classroom instruction and practical skill training in gas plumbing.
The programme also handed out supervised on-the-job training (OJT) at six operational grid locations of Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL) across five districts of Assam – Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat.
The programme, headlined “Professional Skill and Capacity Development in Plumbing Trade” and operationally known as Pipeline to Possibilities, began from last September, a media release said.
The pilot project, a structured skill development initiative, was supported under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), Assam.
The programme was conceived, designed, and implemented by Media Management Group for Literacy and Development (MMGLD) as the lead implementing partner, with Government ITI Majuli serving as the logistics partner and Social Economic and Versatile Welfare Association (SEVWA) as the technical training partner.
‘Pipeline to Possibilities’ included foundational technical theory, hands-on practical sessions,
and field exposure that bridged the gap between classroom learning and professional work
environments, the release said.
These efforts have prepared trainees for meaningful participation in the CGD sector, a field that continues to expand rapidly in India’s evolving energy ecosystem.
The Certificate Distribution Ceremony was attended by distinguished guests, including Dr.
Anil Kumar Jain, Chairperson of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB); Sachidananda Maharana, Director (Finance), NRL; Gokul Swargiyari, Managing Director of AGCL and other industry leaders and partners reaffirming multi-stakeholder support for youth skill development in the region.
Jain lauded the transformative initiative, underscoring the growing need for structured skill development programmes to meet the rising demand for trained plumbers in the CGD sector in the coming years.
In this context, he observed that the trainees who participated in the programme, supported by NRL and implemented by MMGLD, have taken a significant step towards securing their professional futures.
Gokul Swargiyari, Managing Director, AGCL, announced that the company would provide plumbing toolkits to all graduating trainees and indicated that AGCL would onboard candidates from the graduating cohort as per operational requirements.
Atul Dev Sarmah, Secretary-General, MMGLD, speaking on the occasion, expressed deep gratitude for NRL’s CSR support and for the consistent guidance and partnership extended throughout the lifecycle of the project.
He also hoped that the industry would now step forward to absorb the trained manpower and translate this capacity-building effort into meaningful employment opportunities.
Dr. Mousumi Sharma, Project Director, MMGLD, spoke about the comprehensive planning and meticulous implementation of the project, expressing pride in its successful outcome and in the outstanding performance of the students.
The City Gas Distribution sector – the network that supplies Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for transport and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for households, commercial and industrial use – is one of the fastest-growing segments of the nation’s energy landscape.
As of August 2025, the PNGRB reported that the CGD network spanned 784 districts across 34 states and union Territories, and the sector is advancing toward targets of 12.63 crore PNG connections and 18,336 CNG stations by 2034.
The minimum work programme (MWP) also includes 5.46 lakh inch-km of pipeline infrastructure by 2034. 307 Geographical Areas (GAs) have also been authorised, accounting for nearly the entire landmass of the country, reflecting both infrastructure growth and the increasing adoption of cleaner fuels. . .