West Asia conflict: Gujarat cuts industrial gas use by 50 pc, domestic LPG supply unaffected
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat government has imposed a 50 per cent cut on industrial uses of gas amid concerns over the West Asia conflict, a state minister said on Tuesday, while assuring that domestic LPG distribution remains uninterrupted.
The state and the Centre were coordinating closely to ensure that households do not face any shortage of cooking gas cylinders, Gujarat Energy Minister Rushikesh Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar ahead of the assembly session.
Measures were being taken in line with periodic guidelines issued by the central government to prevent panic and ensure the steady availability of LPG for households, he said.
"The state government is constantly working to make sure that no household is left without a cylinder. We are in continuous contact with the central government regarding this," the minister stated.
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He said restrictions have been placed on certain industrial uses of gas to prioritise domestic consumption.
"We have imposed a 50 per cent cut in the gas supply to industries. For fertiliser and milk (processing), there is a cut of about 40 per cent in gas supply," Patel informed.
The decision was aimed at ensuring that domestic users get cooking gas without any disruption, he said.
"This is to ensure that there is no disruption for domestic gas users. The state government is committed to maintaining a regular and steady supply for households," he added.
Responding to a query about reports from Rajkot claiming that hotels and restaurants are getting messages about restrictions on commercial gas cylinders, Patel denied any such directive.
"There is nothing like that," the minister asserted.
"As far as commercial gas cylinders are concerned, there is currently no cut or restriction on them," he said.
The government's immediate focus is to ensure that domestic kitchens continue to function normally and that there is no disruption to household cooking, the minister said.
"To ensure that no individual faces difficulty in getting cooking gas, especially the gas used for domestic purposes, the state and central governments are working together," he added.
The oil ministry has constituted a committee to examine supply issues after a sudden shortage of commercial LPG cylinders alarmed the hospitality sector, with restaurant associations warning that eateries could shut down within days if supplies are not restored.
"For LPG supply to other non-domestic sectors, a committee of three Executive Directors (EDs) of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have been constituted to review the representations for LPG supply to restaurants/hotels/other industries," the ministry said in a post on X.
India consumes about 31.3 million tonnes of LPG annually. As much as 87 per cent of this is in the domestic sector i.e. household kitchens, and the rest in commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants.
Of this total requirement, as much as 62 per cent is met through imports. The US and Israel's attack on Iran and Tehran's retaliation have shut the Strait of Hormuz - the conduit through which India got 85-90 per cent of its LPG imports from countries like Saudi Arabia.
As alternate sources are being scouted, the limited supplies available meant the government prioritising supplies to the domestic sector, and in the process, the commercial establishments have suffered.
Earlier on March 6, an industry representative said that around 100 ceramic manufacturing units in Gujarat's Morbi have shut down due to disruption in gas supplies amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
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Siddaramaiah seeks Centre's urgent intervention over commercial LPG cylinder shortage
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday sought the Centre's urgent intervention to ensure supply of adequate commercial LPG cyclinders to hotels and restaurants in Bengaluru.
He said hotels, restaurants and catering establishments in the city would be forced to suspend operations if supplies are not restored, affecting a large number of students and working professionals who depend on them for regular meals.
In his letter to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, he also requested him to issue appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints that would help ease the situation.
Referring to the March 9 order issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas prioritising LPG supply for domestic consumers, Siddaramaiah said while the intention behind the order to ensure uninterrupted LPG supply to households across the country is well understood and appreciated, its implementation appears to have led to an unintended shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru.
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He cited that several hotels and restaurant associations in the city have reported that they are unable to procure commercial LPG cylinders, and many establishments are expressing concern that they may have to temporarily shut operations if supplies are not restored soon.
Bengaluru has a large ecosystem of small restaurants, mess facilities, and catering units that serve lakhs of people every day.
According to him, as per the discussions held with the oil marketing companies, the state's commercial LPG demand has traditionally been supported by supplies from the three OMCs-IOCL (around 500-550 MT per day), HPCL (around 300 MT per day) and BPCL (around 230 MT per day) and the sudden disruption of this supply is now severely affecting hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users in Bengaluru.
Any disruption to their functioning will have a direct impact on daily life in the city, he said.
"This issue also affects a large number of students and working professionals who live away from their homes and depend on hotels and mess facilities for regular meals. In addition, Choultries (wedding halls), hostels, and event venues that rely on commercial LPG for food preparation are also facing uncertainty, particularly with scheduled social and community events," the chief minister said in the letter.
Given the scale of dependence on commercial LPG in a metropolitan city like Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah sought the union minister's intervention to ensure that adequate commercial LPG supply is made available to hotels, restaurants, choultries, community halls and any other pure commercial establishments.
"Appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints would help ease the situation. A timely resolution will help ensure that businesses continue to operate smoothly while also avoiding inconvenience to thousands of people who rely on these services on a daily basis," he added.
