Several hotels, restaurants continue to operate under strain amid commercial LPG supply crisis
Bengaluru (PTI): Several hotels and restaurants in the city on Tuesday continued to operate under strain with the commercial gas cylinders already they have and said they will be forced to shut down once the stock is exhausted.
They expressed hope that the supply issue will be resolved at the earliest.
The development comes following a sudden and total halt in the supply of commercial gas cylinders, amid the rising energy costs and supply constraints caused by the West Asia conflict, according to the Bangalore Hotels Association.
"Since the gas supply has stopped, the hotels will be closed from March 10," the association had said in a release earlier.
However, some hotel owners said operations are currently continuing with constraints, with some establishments stopping the preparation of certain items that consume more gas to conserve fuel and stretch their existing stock for a longer period.
P C Rao, Honorary President of the Bangalore Hotels Association, told PTI that the decision of closure depends on individual hotels. They will operate as long as they have gas. If there is no gas available, then there is no other option. Then it will automatically close.
"Till the last drop of gas available, we will cook and serve," he said.
When asked if there would be a complete shutdown of hotels and restaurants today, he said, "No, no. Some people (hotels) still have stock. Some others are waiting, hoping there might be some supply. It is not possible to arrange any alternative immediately."
"Let us see. We are hoping for the best, because if we close it will be difficult for us and for customers as well," he said.
Rao said that some hotels have stopped preparing items like poori because they consume a lot of oil and gas.
"We are trying to save gas. For example, if we have five cylinders and normally need three cylinders per day, we try to stretch those five cylinders to last four days. We are making such efforts," he said.
Expressing hope that the issue will be resolved soon, he said, "It has to be resolved, because this is not just a state subject--it concerns the whole country. That is why it must be resolved."
Hotelier Chandrashekhar Hebbar said the situation has become serious due to the shortage of commercial cooking gas, forcing hotels to consider shutting down.
"It has reached that level now -- to the point where closure is being considered. For now, everyone is trying to manage by reducing gas consumption and adjusting things, but that can be done only for a day or two. After that, it will not be possible," Hebbar told PTI.
He said several items were already being curtailed to conserve gas. "We have stopped serving some items. Things like poori have been controlled. The government must take immediate action on this," he added.
Hebbar cautioned that the closure of hotels would affect not only customers but also workers and catering services.
"We have a lot of catering work also, especially with many weddings happening now. All the orders have already been taken, and there is no alternative at present," he said.
He urged the authorities to intervene quickly to resolve the issue and ensure a regular supply of cooking gas to the sector.
Noting that the supply of commercial gas cylinders stopped on March 9, the hotel association said in the release on Monday, since the hotel industry is an essential service, common people, students, and medical professionals, who rely on the hotels for daily meals, will be affected.
"In addition, our hotel industry will also face difficulties until the gas supply returns to normal," it added.
The association said oil companies had guaranteed an uninterrupted gas supply for 70 days, making the sudden stoppage a "big blow" to the hotel industry.
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Deputy CM Shivakumar slams BJP MPs for their silence on LPG shortage in India
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said the shortage of LPG refills has become a serious concern in the state, amid warnings from hotel owners that they may be forced to shut down operations if supplies do not improve soon.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the issue must be discussed in Parliament and urged Members of Parliament to raise the matter, as the shortage was affecting businesses and the public.
"The government must discuss this in Parliament. They should allow a discussion today... From today itself, we are facing problems. There is no stock," he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister criticised BJP MPs for not speaking about the LPG shortage despite its impact on businesses such as hotels and catering establishments.
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He noted that hoteliers have already begun limiting their operations due to dwindling supplies.
"Now, because of the gas price hike and the gas shortage, people are going on strike, but the BJP MPs are not talking about it. They raise their voice on many other issues - strangely enough - but they are silent on this," he said.
Shivakumar also pointed to the rising fuel costs, saying diesel prices had recently increased sharply, adding further pressure on businesses.
According to him, the combined impact of fuel price increases and LPG supply disruptions was affecting the hospitality sector.
He said even former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda spoke about some of the issues pertaining to Karnataka and called for discussion.
"Deve Gowda is talking about Mekedatu and Yettinahole projects. Let him direct his party MPs to talk about this (fuel shortage) in the Parliament.
It is not right for me to launch a verbal attack on him, considering his age. Let him suggest solutions for Mekedatu and Yettinahole. Let his party MLAs talk about what their party did, and I will counter it with what we have done," Shivakumar said.
Hotel associations in the state have warned that continued supply shortages could force establishments to temporarily shut down, particularly those dependent on commercial LPG cylinders for daily cooking. The Deputy Chief Minister indicated that the issue required urgent attention at the national level, as LPG supply and pricing fall under the Centre's purview.
