Bengaluru, March 23: In a decisive move to address the ongoing commercial LPG shortage across Karnataka, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister K.H. Muniyappa has made it mandatory for all commercial LPG usersโincluding hotels, restaurants, dhabas and food processing unitsโto register with GAIL within one week. The directive comes amid mounting complaints of supply disruptions and alleged black marketing of commercial cylinders, particularly in Bengaluru and other urban centres. The minister chaired a high-level review meeting at the Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation office in Vasanthnagar, attended by senior officials from IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, GAIL and representatives from the hotel industry.
During the meeting, Muniyappa stated that the state government has already taken up the issue with the Union government, following which a temporary approval has been granted to restore about 20% of the disrupted supply. However, he emphasised that this is insufficient for the hospitality and service sectors, which require at least 50% supply to function smoothly. The state is expected to submit a fresh request to the Centre seeking an increase in allocation. Officials indicated that the shortage had begun impacting daily operations of hotels, canteens and small food businesses, prompting urgent intervention.
To stabilise the situation, the government has significantly scaled up the distribution plan. While around 7,000 commercial LPG cylinders were being supplied daily earlier, the revised plan aims to distribute nearly 15,000 to 16,000 cylinders per day, including auto LPG. Of this, approximately 10,000 cylinders will be allocated specifically to commercial establishments such as hotels, restaurants, dhabas, canteens and food processing units. In addition, around 500 cylinders have been earmarked for priority sectors including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, fisheries and sericulture to ensure that essential services are not disrupted.
A key highlight of the governmentโs intervention is the introduction of mandatory GAIL registration for all commercial LPG users. The move, aligned with central guidelines, is aimed at bringing transparency into the distribution system and curbing misuse and diversion of cylinders into the black market. Officials said that a documentation-based supply chain will help ensure that genuine users receive uninterrupted supply while preventing illegal trading practices. The registration process is also expected to support the long-term goal of expanding pipeline-based gas supply networks in urban areas.
All commercial users have been given a strict deadline of seven days to complete their registration with GAIL. Authorities have cautioned that failure to comply may lead to supply-related complications in the coming weeks. The government is also planning to closely monitor the implementation of these measures, with another review meeting scheduled next week to assess improvements in supply and address any emerging challenges.
With coordinated efforts between state agencies, oil marketing companies and the Centre, the Karnataka government remains hopeful that the LPG shortage will be gradually brought under control. However, stakeholders continue to stress the need for sustained higher allocation and streamlined distribution to prevent future disruptions in essential services.
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