Hotels may have to wait up to 10 days for commercial LPG cylinders as the state diverts its limited supplies to hospitals, hostels and residential schools while awaiting fresh shipments, the Karnataka government said on Friday.
State Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa told the legislative assembly that the stock available at oil marketing companies is insufficient to meet demand from all sectors, prompting the government to give priority to establishments that rely on LPG to prepare basic meals.
“I have personally reviewed the situation for a whole day and it is very difficult to provide commercial cylinders to hotels. Hence, we have asked hotel owners to wait patiently for 7 to 10 days and use electric stoves instead to meet their business needs during this period,” Munyappa told the House of Representatives.
He said the restricted supplies would first be directed to hospitals, hostels, boarding schools and some large manufacturing units where food preparation or production activities cannot be interrupted.
According to the minister, delays in LPG shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz contributed to the shortage. Two ships carrying LPG have already reached India, while around 10 to 12 other ships remain detained near the strait.
“Two carriers were able to arrive with supplies, while 10 to 12 carriers are currently detained in the Strait of Hormuz. It will take a long time for them to reach our shores. Until then, we have to adapt to whatever supplies we have,” he added.
During the zero hour discussion, Congress MLCs Ivan D’Souza and Nagaraj Yadav urged the government to intervene to ensure uninterrupted supply of commercial LPG cylinders to universities, schools and hotels. Some lawmakers also proposed declaring holidays at establishments affected by the shortage.
Muniyappa said he has already held discussions with representatives of oil marketing companies and that distribution will be streamlined once additional cargoes reach Indian ports.
The authorities have also been directed to prevent illegal diversion of LPG cylinders. The minister said that the deputy commissioners and director general of police have been instructed to closely monitor the distribution and act against black marketing.
The lawmakers also raised concerns over the availability of automatic LPG used by auto-rickshaws.
Munyappa said oil companies have been directed to maintain uninterrupted supplies at filling stations. “I have instructed officials to ensure steady supply of auto LPG to auto rickshaws and other vehicles at filling stations. There will not be any interruption in auto LPG supply,” he said.
District administrations have also been asked to monitor fuel stations and take action against outlets charging prices higher than the government-approved price for LPG. Stations that violate the rules may be subject to confiscation after inspections or complaints.
The supply disruption also raised tensions between the government and hotel owners. After meeting with the minister earlier in the day, representatives of the hospitality sector said the government had rejected their request for at least a limited supply of cylinders.
Bangalore Hotels Association joint secretary SP Krishnaraj criticized the decision after attending the meeting on Friday morning. “We went to the meeting held this morning. But the ministers and officials washed their hands of the fact that they will not be able to supply gas to the hotels for the next 10 days; you must make some alternative arrangements. No matter how much we pleaded, they did not consider our request,” he said.
According to Krishnaraj, the government has emphasized that the available stock should be for domestic supplies. He said: “We asked to deliver at least two cylinders to each hotel, but they did not agree to that.”
Hoteliers warned that a prolonged disruption could affect not only restaurants, but also vegetable, milk and grocery suppliers that rely on the sector.
The Bangalore Apartments Association (BAF) also issued an advisory on Friday urging residents to avoid panic booking of LPG cylinders and adopt responsible consumption practices. The union said residential communities could help reduce pressure on supplies by partially shifting cooking to electric appliances such as induction hobs, electric pressure cookers and air fryers where possible. “Using electricity for even 30-40% of cooking activities can significantly reduce LPG consumption throughout the community,” the advisory said.
