Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin have written to the Centre, raising concerns over possible disruption in LPG supply, saying it could affect millions of lives.
In his March 10 letter to union petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Siddaramaiah sought urgent intervention to address disruptions in the supply of commercial LPG in Bengaluru.
An order issued by the ministry prioritising LPG production for domestic consumers led to an unintended shortage of commercial LPG in the city, he said.
Several hotel and restaurant associations reported difficulties in procuring commercial cylinders, raising concerns that many establishments may be forced to temporarily shut operations, he said.
Shortage hits Bengaluru’s hospitality sector
Bengaluru has a large ecosystem of small restaurants, mess facilities and catering units that serve lakhs of people every day, the CM said.
The city’s commercial LPG demand is met by Indian Oil Corporation (around 500-550 metric tonnes per day), Hindustan Petroleum (around 300 metric tonnes per day) and Bharat Petroleum (around 230 metric tonnes per day).
Disruption in supply is affecting hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users in Bengaluru. He said students and professionals, who depend on hotels and mess facilities for regular meals, could also be affected.
Siddaramaiah urged the minister to ensure adequate commercial LPG for hotels, restaurants and community halls and sought directions for oil marketing firms to address the supply constraints.
Tamil Nadu flags safety and supply concerns
Stalin held a review meeting to assess the possible impact of the US-Iran conflict on Tamil Nadu and the measures needed to cushion the impact.
Stalin said he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to ensure the safety of Tamils living in affected Gulf countries and safeguard the welfare of Tamil Nadu fishermen stranded in the war-hit region.
He also flagged concerns about a potential LPG cylinder shortage and urged the Centre to ensure that supplies to the public, commercial establishments or MSME industries were not hit.
Tejasvi Surya writes to Puri
Bengaluru South MP and BJP leader Tejasvi Surya has also written to Puri, seeking his intervention to ensure continuity of commercial LPG supply to restaurants and hotels.
Surya said the Bangalore Hotels Association wrote to him about the disruption in LPG supply. The restaurant and food service industry relies heavily on commercial LPG and most commercial kitchens lack immediate alternatives such as piped natural gas or large-scale electric cooking systems, the MP said.
A disruption can affect restaurant operations, employment in the sector and services provided to consumers, he said.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
