Fuel mismanagement leading to full-blown livelihood crisis: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday accused the Union government of triggering a “full-blown livelihood crisis” in Karnataka, alleging severe mismanagement of LPG and fuel supply that has disrupted the lives of auto drivers, small businesses and gig workers.

In a joint statement, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar, and AICC general secretary in-charge of the state Randeep Singh Surjewala claimed that over five lakh auto drivers and lakhs of small hotel owners, vendors and delivery workers were facing unprecedented hardship due to rising prices, supply shortages and administrative lapses.

“The Modi government’s catastrophic mismanagement of the LPG and fuel ecosystem has triggered a full-blown livelihood crisis across Karnataka,” the leaders said, demanding accountability from Union ministers representing the state.

The Congress leaders pointed to a steep spike in auto LPG prices, which they said had risen from Rs 58–61 per litre in March to Rs 105–120 within weeks. They further alleged that private outlets were charging as high as Rs 125–135 per litre, while many government-run outlets had stopped operations.

They also claimed that the number of functional LPG/CNG stations in Bengaluru had dropped sharply — from around 60–70 outlets to just 10–15, indicating an 80 per cent disruption in supply infrastructure.

Daily fuel availability, according to the statement, has halved from 12,000 litres to about 6,000 litres, with rationing limits of around Rs 400 per vehicle, forcing drivers to queue for hours from early morning.

Highlighting the scale of disruption, the leaders said Karnataka’s over five lakh auto-rickshaws, which form the backbone of last-mile connectivity, have been badly hit. They claimed that nearly half of them are off the roads, while others are losing productive hours waiting for fuel.

They dismissed suggestions that drivers switch to petrol as “impractical and unaffordable,” citing high petrol prices and the phasing out of petrol-run autos.

The crisis has also extended to small businesses. Congress leaders said a Rs 200 hike in commercial LPG prices from 1 April has pushed the cost of a 19-kg cylinder to over Rs 2,000, reaching Rs 2,161 after multiple increases in 45 days. They alleged that cylinders are being sold in the black market for as much as Rs 6,000, severely affecting eateries, roadside vendors and food delivery workers.

The Congress maintained that LPG supply is controlled by the Centre through oil marketing companies (OMCs), asserting that states have no role in procurement or allocation. They alleged that despite emergency supply requests, companies were not responding adequately, pointing to a “breakdown in governance.”

The leaders also warned of further price hikes and deepening shortages, raising concerns about black marketing and supply manipulation ahead of upcoming elections.

“This is not just a fuel crisis — it is a livelihood emergency affecting crores of citizens,” the statement said, describing the situation as a “failure of leadership” by the Centre.

The Congress further cautioned that public anger over the issue could influence electoral outcomes, including the upcoming assembly bypolls in Karnataka and other elections across the country.

With PTI inputs