Bengaluru, Oct 16 Karnataka Minister Riswan Arshad on Friday urged the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to facilitate the issuance of new domestic LPG connections in the state, citing a backlog of around 36,000 applications as of August 2026.
In his letter to Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Karnataka Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Arshad highlighted the increasing demand for new domestic LPG connections in the state.
He pointed out that following the global LPG crisis, the process of issuing new domestic connections had been stopped, leaving applications pending for the past few months.
The minister noted that consumers without LPG connections may be compelled to use unclean and traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, charcoal and kerosene.
In the letter, Arshad also highlighted that the non-availability of LPG increases women’s workload in many households and the time spent procuring firewood or alternative fuels. The continued use of firewood and other solid fuels causes indoor air pollution and may adversely affect the health of women, children and elderly persons.
He also pointed out that the use of unregulated or unsafe alternative cooking fuels and makeshift cooking arrangements may increase the risk of fires and other household accidents.
Rapidly expanding urban, peri-urban and rural settlements often have newly formed households that require LPG connections but may face difficulties due to limited availability, it said.
The minister also pointed out that the non-availability of adequate new connections could slow progress towards ensuring access to modern cooking fuels for all eligible households.
“There is a significant price difference between the domestic LPG cylinder and the 5 kg cylinder, making it difficult for middle-class and economically weaker families to afford the latter, as middle-class households constitute a major section of the population in our state,” he said.
He also stated that the non-availability of new domestic LPG connections may lead to illegal activities.
“As of August 2026, an average of 36,000 applications were pending for new domestic LPG connections,” the letter said.
Arshad requested the union minister to consider Karnataka’s requirements on priority and direct the concerned oil marketing companies to make adequate numbers of new domestic LPG connections available to eligible households in the state, subject to the applicable guidelines and verification procedures.
“I would also request that the matter be reviewed in consultation with the Government of Karnataka so that the additional requirement can be assessed district-wise and necessary action taken expeditiously,” he added.
(PTI News)
