State Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa on Friday urged the Center to address the prevailing fuel shortage in the state at a meeting held to take stock of the shortage of LPG for cars that has started slowing down public transport across the state.
“The lives of those who depend on auto gas have been affected, and I feel that the central government has failed in its responsibility to address their concerns,” Munyappa told reporters after the meeting.
He added that while supplies of commercial LPG cylinders have improved, the availability of LPG for cars remains uneven. “There has been an improvement in the supply of commercial cylinders, but not for auto gas. The chief secretary wrote to the central government on April 6. Earlier, the chief minister and I also wrote to them, but there has been no response so far,” he said.
Karnataka has about 500,000 auto-rickshaws, of which at least 300,000 run on LPG. Nearly 160,000 people work in Bengaluru, where the shortage has been most pronounced. “We have written to the central government to resolve this issue, as the livelihood of drivers depends on cars. I urge the Center to find a solution,” Munyappa said, adding that the state has the highest number of gas-powered cars.
The country’s daily needs are about 280 metric tons of LPG for cars. Public sector companies such as IndianOil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum supply around 60 metric tonnes, while the rest comes from private companies. According to the minister, the supply from private sector companies has weakened, as some have stopped distribution and others have raised prices.
He added: “With the private sector stopping supply, pressure has come on government-run gas stations. This has led to long queues and some kind of chaos.” He added that he would soon meet with private companies to review the situation.
If private suppliers are unable to meet the demand, the Union government must intervene, Muniappa said. “Some private companies have halted supplies, citing shortages, while others have raised prices. The Center has to take measures to control this. I urge the central government to intervene and make alternative arrangements,” he said, noting that private companies account for about 65% of the supply.
Regarding the drivers’ demands for relief, he said that this issue had been taken up with the Center by the Chief Secretary. He added that fuel supplies fall within the jurisdiction of the Union government. “Ensuring supply is the only solution to this problem. There is no other option. The Center must purchase automobile gas from wherever possible and ensure supply to motorists,” he said.
“The central government has to find a way, as it has given permissions to private companies. We have asked them to provide relief. We want a response from the Government of India and the Petroleum Minister on whether they can ensure supplies as soon as possible, and if not, what is the alternative. We are concerned about the motorists,” he added.
The Minister said that the Chief Secretary will discuss the matter with the Petroleum Minister and that he may also speak to the officials directly. “If it is possible, I will talk to them as well,” he said.
He also said that he had spoken to state Home Minister G Parameshwara and that the police would be asked to monitor black marketing and excessive pricing of LPG for cars and take action against violations.
Separately, Munyappa said the state would issue instructions to ensure timely delivery of domestic LPG cylinders. Referring to the government norms that stipulate that a cylinder lasts about 25 days for a family of four to five people, he said companies will be required to provide refills on the 26th day after booking. He said: “Gas must be provided immediately after booking on the 26th day, and the necessary instructions will be issued to companies in this regard.”
