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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India, Hardeep Singh Puri, requesting him to ensure adequate allocation and availability of commercial LPG and Auto LPG to Karnataka.
Siddaramaiah's request came as two Indian vessels, 'Shivalik and Nanda Devi', arrived in Gujarat, carrying more than 90,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas Noting the disruption in LPG supply due to the West Asia conflict, Siddaramaiah mentioned that the state government is only able to supply 1000 per day as against the demand of 50,000 LPG cylinders from restaurants, hotels, catering establishments and PG accommodations. "As a result, there has been a visible increase in the shutting down of establishments due to the non-availability of commercial LPG. This is beginning to impact the students, IT professionals, farmers, dairy producers, along with a large section of the public who are dependent on the hospitality sector," Siddaramaiah said. He also mentioned there is no integrated platform available for monitoring the commercial supplies, as opposed to the existing IT system to monitor the domestic gas supply. The Karnataka CM also expressed concern over no integrated system to monitor the distribution of Auto LPG, which he said leads to a lack of transparency and accountability. "Similarly, Auto LPG is a critical fuel for a large number of auto-rickshaws, which form an important part of the city's last-mile connectivity and support the livelihood of many drivers. However, there is no integrated system to monitor the distribution of Auto LPG, which leads to a lack of transparency and accountability," he said. The two Indian-flagged LPG carriers safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz before arriving in India on March 16 and 17. MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi - carrying approximately 92,712 metric tonnes of LPG- crossed the Strait of Hormuz early Friday (March 13, 2026). The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with ship owners, Recruitment and Placement Service License (RPSL) agencies and Indian diplomatic missions in the region, a release said. The Union Shipping Minister is actively monitoring the situation, it added. To ensure smooth maritime operations, the government is working closely with ports, shipping lines and logistics stakeholders to minimise any operational disruptions to maritime trade. Ports have been advised to extend relief measures where required, including concessions in anchorage, berth hire and storage charges. (ANI)
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