Bengaluru, March 19 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri seeking urgent intervention to streamline the supply of commercial LPG and Auto LPG in Bengaluru amid a growing shortage.

In his letter, the Chief Minister highlighted that the disruption in commercial LPG supply follows recent directions from the Union Ministry prioritising domestic LPG distribution. He said the state government has taken steps in line with the Centre’s guidelines to regulate and prioritise supply for essential sectors.

However, Siddaramaiah pointed out a significant gap between demand and supply. Against a daily requirement of around 50,000 LPG cylinders from restaurants, hotels, catering units and paying guest accommodations, only about 1,000 cylinders are currently being supplied. This shortfall, he noted, has led to a visible increase in the closure of establishments due to the non-availability of commercial LPG.

The situation is beginning to affect a wide section of the public, including students, IT professionals, farmers and dairy producers, all of whom depend on services provided by the hospitality sector.

The Chief Minister also raised concerns over the lack of a monitoring mechanism for commercial LPG distribution. While an IT-based system exists to track domestic LPG supply, he said there is no integrated platform to oversee commercial LPG allocation and distribution, leading to inefficiencies.

He further pointed out that Auto LPG, a key fuel for auto-rickshaws that provide last-mile connectivity in Bengaluru, is also facing similar issues. The absence of a monitoring system for Auto LPG distribution has resulted in a lack of transparency and accountability, affecting the livelihoods of many drivers.

Referring to reports that India is set to receive two LPG tankers soon, Siddaramaiah expressed hope that the additional supply would help ease the crisis. He urged the Union Minister to ensure adequate allocation of both commercial LPG and Auto LPG to Karnataka, particularly considering the high dependency in Bengaluru.

The Chief Minister requested immediate intervention from the Centre to address the supply constraints and stabilise availability for commercial users and transport services in the state.

It can be recalled that Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa on Wednesday informed the Legislative Council that the state is facing a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders and urged hotel owners and other commercial users to cooperate for a week until fresh supplies arrive.

The minister said that only a limited number of commercial cooking gas cylinders can currently be supplied to hotels, restaurants, industries, and dhabas due to restrictions and supply issues.

Muniyappa said that around 40,000 commercial LPG cylinders are required every day in the state, but at present, only about 1,000 cylinders can be supplied to hotels. He urged stakeholders to wait for a week, expressing hope that the situation would improve once ships carrying LPG reach the country.

“Sixteen ships are currently in queue in Iran. If they arrive, the problem will be resolved. The Centre is in talks with Iran and making efforts to address the issue. If the situation can be managed for a week, normalcy will be restored,” he said.

–IANS

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