Bengaluru, March 30 (IANS) Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa on Monday said that the state government has initiated steps to streamline the supply of commercial LPG cylinders and assured hotel owners that distribution would resume from Tuesday. He also urged the Centre to resolve the shortage.
Addressing the media, Muniyappa said an order regarding the allocation of commercial cooking gas had already been issued on Sunday. “The order will reach distributors today, and from tomorrow onwards, LPG cylinders will be supplied. The channel that was closed will take some time to fully resume operations,” he stated.
He added that oil companies would dispatch cylinders to distributors on Monday, and as promised, around 17,500 cooking gas cylinders would be supplied to hotel owners every day. “Hotel owners need not panic. They will receive cylinders as assured,” he said.
The minister also appealed to domestic consumers not to rush to distributors. “Consumers must book cylinders once every 25 days in urban areas and once every 45 days in rural areas. They will receive their supply accordingly,” he said.
Urging the Centre to intervene, Muniyappa said the responsibility to resolve the crisis lies with the Union government. Referring to the push for LPG usage, he said, “People were encouraged to shift from firewood and electric induction stoves to LPG. If restrictions are suddenly imposed, it is the duty of the Centre to address the issue.”
He further noted that hotels and related industries had been established based on assured LPG supply. “If supply is denied abruptly, alternative arrangements must be made. I appeal to the Prime Minister, the Central government, and the Union Petroleum Minister to ensure adequate supply,” he said.
Responding to complaints that gas agencies were not supplying cylinders even after the stipulated period, Muniyappa clarified that agencies are required to accept bookings after 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural regions. “If agencies fail to provide cylinders, consumers can file complaints with the respective gas companies or approach area managers,” he added.
Reiterating his appeal, the minister said the Centre must act swiftly to resolve the issue and prevent public unrest. “This crisis has caused significant outrage among people, and immediate measures are needed,” he said.
Earlier, Muniyappa had stated that the Centre has taken steps to provide 29,463 commercial LPG cylinders to the state. Following this, the supply of commercial LPG increased from 40 per cent to 68 per cent. At the beginning of the crisis, the state was receiving only 20 per cent of its quota, with 9,544 commercial cylinders supplied daily. This later rose to 40 per cent, with the number of cylinders increasing to 16,105.
He also warned gas distributors to supply LPG cylinders at prices fixed by the government, stating that any involvement in black marketing would lead to cancellation of their licences. Muniyappa had said that 17,500 LPG cylinders would be provided to hotels, dhabas, restaurants, factories, KMF milk dairies, community kitchens, PG canteens, and sports residential centres.
Around 4,200 LPG cylinders will be allocated to educational institutions, residential facilities, hospitals, and other critical centres. Seed processing, agriculture, pharmaceutical, fisheries, poultry, and sericulture centres will receive 6,000 LPG cylinders. Additionally, 1,200 cylinders have been allotted to government departments, public sector units, airports, railway stations, and bus stand canteens. As per requirements, the remaining 563 LPG cylinders will be distributed accordingly.
–IANS
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