Bengaluru, March 15 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Sunday that he has written to the Centre, urging it to explore alternative measures, including importing LPG from other countries, to address the shortage of cooking gas being reported in parts of the state.
Speaking to reporters here, the Chief Minister said the state government had already responded to the issue in the legislature and had taken up the matter with the Union government to ensure the uninterrupted supply of LPG.
“The government has already given replies twice, both in the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. I have also written a letter. Regarding this shortage, I have said that efforts should be made to explore alternatives, such as bringing LPG from other countries to avoid the shortage. Even now, I am urging the central government,” Siddaramaiah said.
He noted that a large section of the population depends on hotels for food and warned that disruption in LPG supply could affect daily life.
The CM said Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has assured that steps would be taken to ensure there is no disruption in supply.
“There are many people who depend on hotels for food. If hotels stop functioning, it will cause great difficulty and the entire public life will be disrupted,” he said, adding that he had urged the Union government to act immediately to resolve the issue.
Responding to criticism from state BJP leaders that the LPG shortage was not being reported in other states, Siddaramaiah said, “Let them supply it then. Maybe they are showing a stepmotherly attitude towards Karnataka. Let them supply it to Karnataka. What will we do by keeping it with us?”