LPG crisis: Karnataka minister Muniyappa assures monthly one cylinder per family, requests hotels to cooperate

He said India produces only 25-30 per cent of its LPG requirement, with the rest coming from imports.

“Ten vessels supplying gas are stuck due to the war. But oil companies have assured that one cylinder can be provided to each family every 25-30 days,” he said. “We have to provide cylinders for hospitals, schools, and colleges. Hotels, wedding halls, and convention centres should cooperate during the crisis because we have to take care of domestic consumers first.”

Earlier, Congress legislator H D Ranganath highlighted the problems faced by hoteliers because of the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders. He also blamed the Union Government’s policy for the crisis.

BJP legislators rose in unison to hit out at the MLA’s comments. The dispute intensified after IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge asked whether the sudden imposition of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to secure LPG supply would not cause panic among consumers.

“There is anxiety because on February 9, the Union minister told Parliament there was nothing to worry about as there was a stock for 75 days. Later on March 6, they said there is no shortage. Now, they have implemented ESMA. From February 9 to March 10, you said there was no need to panic and now have brought it under ESMA,” he said.

BJP MLAs accused Kharge of diverting attention from the crisis, stating that an international crisis was to blame for the LPG shortage.

Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said that Karnataka was the only state facing the problem, a claim Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao disputed.