Senior Congress leaders on Tuesday accused the Center of mishandling supplies of LPG and other fuels, saying the situation had disrupted transport services and put pressure on small businesses across Karnataka.
In a joint statement, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and party general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala said: “The Modi government’s catastrophic mismanagement of LPG and fuel ecosystem has sparked a full-blown livelihood crisis across Karnataka.”
They pointed to the sharp rise in the prices of liquefied petroleum gas for cars, noting that the rates rose from $58-61 per liter in March to between $105 f $120 in a few weeks. According to them, some private outlets were charging the same amount $125-135 per liter, while many government-run stations have stopped operating.
The leaders also noted a sharp decline in the number of LPG and CNG outlets operating in Bengaluru, estimating that operational stations have come down from about 60-70 to about 10-15. They said that the daily availability of fuel decreased from about 12,000 liters to about 6,000 liters, with a limit of about 1,000 liters. $400 per vehicle forcing drivers to stand in queues for hours.
Karnataka’s fleet of over five lakh auto-rickshaws has been severely affected, with many vehicles being taken off the roads and others losing working hours while waiting for fuel, they said. The proposal for drivers to switch to petrol has been described as unworkable due to high costs and declining use of petrol-powered cars.
Leaders said the disruption had spread to small businesses, noting an increase in… $£200 at commercial LPG prices from 1 April. The cost of the 19kg drum is now over $2000, Access $2,161 after multiple reviews in recent weeks. They also claimed that the cylinders were sold on the black market for an amount of up to $6000.
The Congress asserted that LPG supplies are under the control of the Center through oil marketing companies, arguing that the states do not supervise procurement or allocation. They said that despite requests for additional supplies, companies did not respond adequately, describing the situation as a breakdown in governance. They warned that shortages and rising prices could worsen, raising concerns about black marketing and supply distortions in the run-up to the election.
Separately, state Home Minister G Parameshwara said the state has formally requested its due share of LPG from the Center and is awaiting a response. He added that Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa is in touch with the central authorities regarding the matter.
“What applies to other states should apply to us, but the Center is not responding to our request. The Prime Minister also raised this matter yesterday. After the elections, someone may be appointed specifically to deal with this issue,” Parameshwara said.
(with PTI inputs)
