Siddaramaiah writes to Hardeep Singh Puri on LPG shortage as crisis threats to upend Bengaluru life

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday wrote to Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri flagging concerns over prevailing shortage of commercial LPG cylinders in Bengaluru that could disrupt operations at hotels, paying guest (PG) accommodations and event venues.

Siddaramaiah, in a letter, 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.

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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. “The hotel industry and other sectors are under severe stress due to this. This is affecting crores of women. The war has impacted Indian industrialists operating in the Middle East,” he told reporters, attributing the supply disruption partly to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

Responding to the concerns, 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.

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee also criticised the Centre, saying the LPG crunch was foreseeable given the escalating tensions in West Asia that could disrupt global fuel supply chains.

“Consumers have already seen a ?307 increase per cylinder over the past three months in commercial LPG and are now facing delays and rationing,” the party said in a post on X.

On the ground, restaurants across Bengaluru reported little improvement in supplies. The Bangalore Hotels Association has warned of a possible bandh if the situation does not improve. Association president PC Rao told ET that there was no visible improvement in supplies and the industry was closely monitoring the situation, hoping for intervention from the Centre.