Karnataka Food Minister Rizwan Arshad has written to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri seeking domestic LPG connections for 36,000 families who have applied for new connections but have reportedly been unable to secure them after the Centre stopped supplying fresh connections following the global oil crisis.
According to the minister’s letter, the affected applicants include families in rural, semi-urban and urban areas. The shortage has created difficulties for economically weaker households, migrant workers, low-income families and people who have recently built homes, the minister said.
The letter said demand for new LPG connections had increased with population growth, urbanisation and the expansion of new residential areas. Families moving into newly developed neighbourhoods or constructing homes therefore face difficulties obtaining a domestic cooking-gas connection, according to the minister’s account.
Arshad also raised concerns about the difference between the prices of domestic LPG cylinders and five-kilogram cylinders. He said many middle-class and economically weaker families in Karnataka were finding it difficult to purchase five-kilogram cylinders because of the price gap.
The minister warned that the limited availability of new domestic connections, combined with the difficulty of accessing smaller cylinders, could create conditions for illegal activities. The letter did not provide details on the number of households currently relying on alternative fuels or on the duration of the reported suspension of new connections.
The issue links household energy access with the way Karnataka’s settlements are expanding. New housing areas require basic utility connections before residents can fully integrate into the formal service network. When access to cooking fuel is delayed, households that are already economically vulnerable may face additional costs or operational difficulties, although the minister’s letter did not quantify those impacts.
The minister asked the Union government to consult the Karnataka government, supply the required cylinders and take urgent action so that the public does not face further inconvenience. The request places responsibility for resolving the reported connection shortage with the Union petroleum ministry and the agencies responsible for LPG distribution.
The letter also highlights the differing needs of existing LPG consumers and households seeking their first connection. While established consumers depend on regular cylinder refills, families applying for a new connection need access to the initial equipment and supply network. The minister’s request focuses on ensuring that applicants across income groups and settlement types can enter the domestic LPG system.
No response from the Union petroleum ministry or Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was included in the report. The next steps will depend on the Centre’s response to Karnataka’s request, including whether additional domestic connections and cylinders are made available to the 36,000 applicant families.
