Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday sought Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's intervention amid concerns over shortages in the supply of commercial LPG gas cylinders in Bengaluru and flagged the impact on daily life.
This letter comes on the backdrop of Bangalore Hotels Association announcing that the supply of commercial gas cylinders had been stopped, affecting services.
Taking to ‘X,' Siddaramaiah stated that the LPG supply shortage, “has disrupted supply for hotels, mess facilities, hostels and other establishments that serve lakhs of people daily.”
In the letter addressed to the Union Minister, Siddaramaiah, referring to the order of the ministry which stated about prioritising LPG production for domestic markets, wrote, “while the intention behind the order to ensure uninterrupted LPG supply to households across the country is well understood and appreciated, its implementation appears to have led to an unintended shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru.”
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He further stated that several hotel and restaurant associations in the city had reported difficulties in procuring commercial LPG cylinders.
“Several hotels and restaurant associations in the city have reported that they are unable to procure commercial LPG cylinders, and many establishments are expressing concern that they may have to temporarily shut operations if supplies are not restored soon. Bengaluru has a large ecosystem of small restaurants, mess facilities, and catering units that serve lakhs of people every day,” he said.
According to the Chief Minister, discussions with Oil Marketing Companies indicated that the state's commercial LPG demand has traditionally been met through supplies from the three OMCs — IOCL (Indian Oil Corporation) , HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation) and BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation).
“The sudden disruption of this supply is now severely affecting hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users in Bengaluru,” the letter read.
He added that any disruption in the functioning of these establishments would have a direct impact on daily life in the city.
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Siddaramaiah also pointed out that the issue affects a large number of students and working professionals who live away from their homes and depend on hotels and mess facilities for daily meals.
He further noted that PGs, hostels and event venues that rely on commercial LPG for food preparation are also facing uncertainty, particularly with scheduled social and community events.
“Given the scale of dependence on commercial LPG in a metropolitan city like Bengaluru, I request your kind intervention to ensure that adequate commercial LPG supply is made available to hotels, restaurants, choultries, community halls and any other pure commercial establishments,” he stated.
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Meanwhile, several restaurants across the city were reportedly operating with limited menus. Some establishments were also seen serving only tea and coffee.
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