Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah urges Centre to increase LPG supply in Bengaluru

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had urged the Centre to immediately intervene to address a severe shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru.

The CM said that the crisis is forcing restaurants and related establishments to shut down and impacting a wide cross-section of the public dependent on the hospitality sector.

In a letter written to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday which wasshared with the media on Thursday, Siddaramaiah highlighted a sharp mismatch between demand and supply, noting that only a fraction of the required cylinders is being made available.

He said, "As against the demand of 50,000 LPG cylinders from restaurants, hotels, catering establishments and PG accommodations etc., we are able to supply only 1,000 cylinders per day."

The Chief Minister added that the shortage has led to a visible increase in shutting down of establishments due to unavailability of commercial LPG, affecting students, IT professionals, farmers, dairy producers and others reliant on the hospitality ecosystem.

Referring to recent directions from the Ministry prioritising domestic LPG supply, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka has taken steps to regulate allocation for essential segments in line with the Centre’s guidelines, but the situation remains critical.

Siddaramaiah also flagged the absence of an integrated monitoring system for commercial LPG distribution, in contrast to the existing IT system for domestic gas supply, leading to gaps in transparency and oversight.

He further mentioned that Auto LPG, a key fuel for autorickshaws that provide last-mile connectivity in Bengaluru, is also facing similar issues due to the lack of a monitoring mechanism.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “I request your kind intervention to ensure adequate allocation and availability of commercial LPG and Auto LPG to Karnataka, keeping in view the operational requirements and unique dependency patterns of the State, especially city of Bengaluru.

(With PTI inputs)