Congress leaders in Karnataka have accused the Centre of mishandling fuel supply, leading to a crisis in the state.
Senior leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, said the Modi government's mismanagement of LPG and fuel has triggered a livelihood crisis in Karnataka.
They pointed to a sharp rise in auto LPG prices, with rates increasing from ₹58-61 per litre in March to ₹105-120 within a few weeks.
Some private outlets were charging as much as ₹125-135 per litre, while several government-run stations had ceased operations.
The number of functioning LPG and CNG outlets in Bengaluru has dropped from 60-70 to 10-15, with daily fuel availability falling from 12,000 litres to 6,000 litres.
Karnataka's fleet of over five lakh auto-rickshaws has been significantly affected, with many vehicles taken off the roads and others losing working hours while waiting for fuel.
The disruption has extended to small businesses, with commercial LPG prices increasing by ₹200 from April 1.
Congress leaders argued that LPG supply falls under the control of the Centre and warned that shortages and price increases could worsen, raising concerns about black marketing and supply distortions in the run-up to elections.
