Siddaramaiah writes to centre over commercial LPG shortage in Bengaluru

Bengaluru

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri seeking urgent intervention to address the disruption in commercial LPG supply in Bengaluru.

In a letter dated March 10, the Chief Minister expressed concern that a recent order issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas prioritising LPG supply for domestic consumers has unintentionally led to a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders in the city.

According to the Chief Minister, several hotel and restaurant associations in Bengaluru have reported difficulty in procuring commercial LPG cylinders. Many establishments fear they may be forced to temporarily shut operations if supplies are not restored soon.

Bengaluru has a large network of small restaurants, mess facilities and catering units that serve lakhs of people daily. Siddaramaiah noted that the city’s commercial LPG demand has traditionally been met through supplies from oil marketing companies including Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.

Currently, Indian Oil supplies around 500–550 metric tonnes per day, while Hindustan Petroleum provides about 300 metric tonnes and Bharat Petroleum about 230 metric tonnes daily. The sudden disruption, he said, has severely affected hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users.

The Chief Minister also highlighted that the shortage could impact students and working professionals who depend on hotels and mess facilities for daily meals. Wedding halls, hostels and event venues relying on commercial LPG are also facing uncertainty.

Siddaramaiah urged the Union Minister to direct oil marketing companies to restore adequate commercial LPG supply to hotels, restaurants, choultries, community halls and other commercial establishments to avoid disruption to daily life in the city.