Minister asks Karnataka hotels to switch to power

Bengaluru: Amid LPG shortage, minister KH Muniyappa urged hotels to shift to electricity temporarily, promising improved supply within a week, even as commercial distribution remains capped and industry bodies flag widespread impact.Muniyappa said the govt plans to consolidate a week's allocation and release between 10,000 and 15,000 cylinders to ease the immediate pressure. He said a meeting with hotel association representatives is scheduled Monday to review the situation and streamline distribution. Officials maintained domestic LPG supply remains unaffected and continues to be prioritised. According to them, daily domestic demand stands at 3,52,921 cylinders and being met by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and other oil marketing companies. In contrast, commercial LPG supply has been capped at 20% of demand. Against a requirement of 44,000 cylinders, about 9,000 are being supplied each day.Bengaluru Hotels' Association said two cylinders were supplied to some establishments following a court petition. Seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention, it said disruption in commercial LPG supply has affected around 40,000 self-employed hotel owners and nearly 6 lakh employees across the state.155 cylinders seizedThe food inspector and Talaghattapura police seized 155 cylinders — 148 empty and 7 filled (19kg each) during a raid at SV Gas Agency in Sir M Visvesvaraya Layout industrial area, Anjanapura. The food inspector of Bengaluru South Taluk said gas agency owner Prasad had illegally stockpiled Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited's (BPCL) Bharat Gas cylinders in a godown.