Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa told the Legislative Council on Friday that supplying commercial cylinders to hotels or restaurants will be difficult for about a week or ten days because there is no stock.

Amid supply constraints caused by the West Asia conflict, he, however, said there are indications that the situation will improve in coming days.

"Today, I again held a meeting with oil companies, along with our department's secretary and commissioner. The commercial gas will be supplied for essential places like hospitals, hostels, residential schools. For now, there is a supply issue. By and large, the situation will improve and supplies will smoothen after one week," Muniyappa said.

He said commercial gas cylinder supplies will be ensured for essential services like hospitals and student hostels.

"It will be difficult to supply commercial cylinders to hotels for about a week or ten days as there is no stock. If there is stock, 20-25 per cent can be supplied. Companies have assured that whatever is there in stock will be supplied to essential services, and they are supplying," he said, adding that he has also asked the companies to ensure supplies to autos that run on LPG gas.

The minister was responding to questions raised by Congress MLCs Nagaraju Yadav and Ivan D'Souza during zero hour.

Asking hotels to be patient for a few days, the minister said, "I have suggested hotels use alternatives like electric stoves, among others, and prepare food only in the quantity required for a week or ten days. There are indications that the situation will improve in a week to ten days."

"Two vessels have come (from the Middle East). Ten to twelve more vessels are likely to come from that region. I'm not giving assurance, as they are yet to start from there. With two vessels on the way, there will be some improvement in the situation. Once others start from there, necessary arrangements can be made here for supplies," he said.

Instructions have been given to the deputy commissioners in the districts to take necessary action as per the Essential Commodities Act against those indulging in illegalities concerning gas supplies, such as black marketing, Muniyappa said.

There are complaints about gas cylinders being sold at double the rate, and the police commissioner and DGP have been asked to keep watch on this, and to ensure that there is no black marketing, he added.

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Dehradun (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Dehradun on Tuesday, with a large crowd lining both sides of the road to greet him.

The prime minister is in the city to inaugurate the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway.

Before the roadshow, he stopped to pray at the Siddhpeeth Maa Datkali Temple near Dehradun on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

He then embarked on a 12-kilometre road trip to the main event venue, Jaswant Ground, in Dehradun.

A large number of people, including school children, gathered to welcome the prime minister and showered flowers on his convoy.

A massive police force was deployed for security during the prime minister's movement.

Modi will inaugurate the Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor, which will cut the travel time between the two cities to less than half. He will also undertake a review of the wildlife passage on the elevated section of the high-speed expressway in Saharanpur.

The 213-kilometre six-lane access-controlled corridor has been built at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore.

The corridor traverses through the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, and will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours at present to around two and a half hours, according to an official statement.