BENGALURU: The ripple effects of the West Asia crisis have reached Bengaluru’s eateries and hotels, with a potential shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) threatening to disrupt operations and forcing some restaurants to shut down.In view of the situation, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has written to the Union minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, raising concerns over a possible shortage of gas cylinders and urging the government to ensure continued LPG supply for the hospitality sector.“The reports of a shortage of LPG cylinders and its possible disruption to the hotel industry have been communicated to Hon. Minister Shri @HardeepSPuri Ji. The Minister has constituted a high priority panel to ensure LPG supply is uninterrupted to non-domestic users, including hotels,” Surya wrote on X, sharing the letter.
The BJP MP passed on the concerns of the Bangalore Hotel Association, which had highlighted that their partners depend on commercial LPG supplies for their hospitality needs. “I am in receipt of representation from the Bangalore Hotels Association (Regd.) regarding concerns related to the continuity of commercial LPG supply to restaurants, hotels and other establishments in the hospitality sector. The restaurant and food service industry relies significantly on commercial LPG for daily kitchen operations. Unlike several other sectors, most commercial kitchens currently do not have immediate alternatives such as PNG connectivity or electric cooking systems at scale,” Surya wrote in the letter sent on Monday. The letter added that any disruption in LPG supply could directly affect restaurant operations, employment in the sector, and services provided to consumers.“Unlike several other sectors, most commercial kitchens currently do not have immediate alternatives such as PNG connectivity or electric cooking systems at scale,” the letter said. “While the industry supports the Government’s efforts to ensure adequate LPG supply for domestic households, the Association has requested assurance that commercial establishments continue to receive uninterrupted LPG supply through the existing distribution system,” the letter added. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has directed oil refineries to ramp up the production of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and channel the additional output specifically for domestic consumption. The move comes in response to recent geopolitical disruptions that have strained the global fuel supply chain.The government has prioritised LPG supply to households to ensure energy security for citizens amid ongoing uncertainty in global oil and energy markets triggered by the West Asia crisis.“In light of current geopolitical disruptions to fuel supply and constraints on the supply of LPG, the Ministry has issued orders to oil refineries for higher LPG production and using such extra production for domestic LPG use,” the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced on X.To manage the current supply environment, the ministry introduced a 25-day inter-booking period for consumers to avoid hoarding and prevent black marketing. “The ministry has prioritised domestic LPG supply to households and introduced 25 day inter- booking period to avoid hoarding/black marketing. (With agency inputs)
