The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday sought the Central and State governments' response to a petition seeking directions to ensure that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders are supplied without interruption to hotels and restaurants in Bengaluru amid the ongoing shortage crisis [Bangalore Hotel Association v. Union of India].
A Bench comprising Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum issued notice to the Centre and State after the matter was mentioned earlier today.
The petition filed by the Bangalore Hotels Association and some of its members said that tensions between Israel, the US and Iran have now reached kitchens in India as well, as the geopolitical conflict has led to a short supply of LPG cylinders in India.
The petitioners argued that any abrupt halt in the supply of LPG cylinders to hotels and restaurants is arbitrary and violative of the fundamental right to practice one's profession.
According to the plea, hotels and restaurants are dependent on a regular supply of LPG cylinders as the primary source of fuel to cook food. The sudden shortage in LPG supply could therefore paralyse the functioning of hotels and restaurants. The present crisis has forced restaurants to cut short menus, shorten working hours and could even lead to their shutdown, it was submitted.
The petitioner contended that any shutdown of hotels due to the short supply of LPG cylinders could affect the public who depend on them, as well as 6 lakh labourers in Bengaluru alone.
The petition was filed through advocate Satish K.
A petition tied to the LPG crisis was recently filed before the Bombay High Court as well, where six Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) dealers claimed that exports are being prioritised over domestic supply amid the ongoing shortage.
On Tuesday, the Central government told the High Court that it is taking remedial measures to deal with the crisis so that the LPG shortage at the international level due to the Iran-Israel war does not affect supply in India. In view of the submission, the Bombay High Court closed the case.