Eateries begin suspension of business after running out of LPG, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah writes to Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri flagging concerns over critical shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru as some restaurants downed their shutters Tuesday evening after they ran out of cooking gas. More eateries and darshinis (QSRs) will shut business on Wednesday and resume after normalcy in supplies resumes.

Bangalore Hotels Association President PC Rao said they did not get any words of assurance during the meeting Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) top officials had with the stakeholders from the five southern states.

Several hoteliers, he added, would not be able to do business on Wednesday for want of cylinders. The Association has asked its members to cut down on the menu and serve a few basic items to customers.


Siddaramaiah, in his letter, highlighted the LPG shortage disrupting operations at hotels, paying guest (PG) accommodations and event venues.

The CM said the shortage could have serious consequences for the city’s food services ecosystem, including hotels, restaurants, hostels, marriage halls and community venues that depend on commercial LPG for cooking.

The chief minister’s intervention comes amid growing uncertainty over cylinder supplies, with restaurants indicating a total shutdown of business and PG accommodations indicating that they may have to cut down menu options if the shortage persists. PG facilities in the city serve thousands of students and working professionals who depend on mess and hotel food for their daily meals.

The CM noted that choultries, hostels and event venues relying on commercial LPG for large-scale 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 intervention to ensure that adequate supplies are made available to hotels, restaurants, choultries, community halls and other commercial establishments,” Siddaramaiah said in the letter. He urged the union minister to direct oil marketing companies to address the supply constraints at the earliest.

The chief minister pointed to a revised order issued by the petroleum ministry prioritising LPG production and directing oil marketing companies to market LPG primarily for domestic consumers. While acknowledging the intent of ensuring uninterrupted household supply, he said the move appears to have inadvertently created a shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru.

Karnataka’s commercial LPG demand of about 1000 metric tonnes has traditionally been supported through supplies from IOC, HPCL and BPCL Meanwhile, deputy CM DK Shivakumar criticised BJP MPs for not raising the LPG issue in Parliament.

MP Tejasvi Surya said he had conveyed reports of the shortage and its possible impact on the hospitality sector to Puri. The minister, he said, has constituted a high-priority panel to ensure uninterrupted LPG supplies to non-domestic users, including hotels.