Commercial LPG Shortage: Karnataka CM Seeks Centre's Intervention; Bengaluru PG Residents And Hotels Feel The Heat
The hotels in Bengaluru have been facing short supply of commercial LPG cylinders, forcing them to mull closing their businesses
Published : March 10, 2026 at 7:04 PM IST
|Updated : March 10, 2026 at 9:57 PM IST
Bengaluru: Even as hoteliers struggle to source commercial LPG cylinders owing to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday sought urgent intervention from the Union Government to ensure adequate supply of commercial LPG cylinders.
In a letter to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, the CM urged him to issue suitable directions to the oil marketing companies to ensure smooth supply of LPG cylinders to the hospitality industry.
Several hotels and restaurant associations in Bengaluru have expressed concerns that they may have to temporarily shut down hotels and restaurants due to the non-availability of commercial LPG, he said.
"Benglauru has a large ecosystem of small restaurants, mess facilities and catering units that serve lakhs of people every day. The sudden supply disruption is now severely affecting hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users in Bengaluru. Any disruption to their functioning will have a direct impact on daily life in the city," he said.
He further stated that this issue also affects a large number of students and working professionals who live away from their homes and depend on hotels and mess facilities for regular meals. In addition, choultries (wedding halls), hostels and event venues that rely on commercial LPG for food preparation are also facing uncertainty, particularly with scheduled social and community events.
Given the scale of dependence on commercial LPG in a metropolitan city like Bengaluru, "I request your intervention to ensure that adequate commercial LPG supply is made available," said the CM.
He said that appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints would help ease the situation.
Siddaramaiah also noted that the union government's recent order, which prioritizes LPG production and supplies it exclusively for domestic consumers, has caused an unintended shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru. "While the intention behind the order to ensure uninterrupted LPG supply to households across the country is well understood and appreciated, its implementation appears to have led to this situation," he said.
Bengaluru: Disruptions in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders, reportedly linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, have begun to affect several parts of Karnataka. The impact is now being felt by paying guest accommodations in Bengaluru, where thousands of students and working professionals depend on shared meal facilities.
Bengaluru PG Residents and Hotels Feel the Heat
Hotels, which require gas cylinders daily for cooking, were among the first to face the problem. However, the situation is now beginning to affect PG establishments as well.
Arun Kumar, president of the Bengaluru PG Owners’ Association, said most PGs house between 30 and 100 residents and rely on regular gas supplies to prepare meals.
“At the moment, many PGs have a few days’ stock of cylinders. But if the supply is not restored soon, it will become difficult to manage food arrangements for residents,” Arun Kumar said.
In view of the shortage in commercial cylinder supply, the PG Owners’ Association recently held a meeting to discuss possible alternatives. According to Kumar, members discussed the option of temporarily shifting to induction stoves, large electric rice cookers and high-capacity electric heaters for cooking if the situation worsens. There is also a proposal to modify the menu in PG kitchens in order to reduce gas consumption.
Lakhs of students and employees in the city rely on PG meals for their daily food. Kumar appealed to the government to intervene immediately and ensure that gas supply is restored without delay.
The disruption has also raised concerns among hotel operators. P.C. Rao, honorary president of the Bengaluru Hotels Association, said hotels did not receive the required number of commercial LPG cylinders on Monday.
“We were told there would be no disruption in oil and gas supplies for up to 70 days. However, agencies failed to supply cylinders as per demand on Monday. If the situation continues on Tuesday as well, hotels will have no option but to shut down operations. It will not be a deliberate shutdown, but a compulsion,” Rao said.
According to Rao, only about 10 percent of hotels in the city have pipeline gas connections and may be able to continue functioning. Most others depend entirely on LPG cylinders.
If the supply disruption continues, the impact will extend beyond hotels. Street-side mobile canteens, catering services and event management businesses are also likely to be affected. Vendors may still be able to serve tea or coffee if they have juice machines or electric stoves, but preparing regular meals and snacks will become difficult.
Rao warned that the shortage could affect a large section of people who depend on affordable hotel food, including traders, auto and cab drivers, PG residents and daily wage labourers.
He urged the government to step in immediately and resolve the supply issue before the situation worsens further.
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