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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RCB calmer than last year, players clear about their roles: Krunal Pandya
Bengaluru (PTI): The atmosphere in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru camp is much calmer than last year and players have a lot more understanding of their roles this season, says Krunal Pandya.
RCB won the Indian Premier League trophy for the first time in 18 years in 2025 and Pandya was the Man-of-the-Match in the final against Punjab Kings at Ahmedabad, returning 4-0-17-2 as RCB won the contest by six runs.
"I feel that this year there is a much calmer atmosphere. Last year it was a new team, and everyone got to know each other. This year many players understand their roles and each other's strengths and weaknesses," Pandya said in a release by the franchise.
"When I get into the big occasions, I feel that if God has got you here, then there is a reason behind it and sometimes I think that these big occasions are actually made for me. I feel the pressure, but I think about how I can be calm and in the present moment and do what is required," he said.
Pandya said RCB icon Virat Kohli would easily rank among the greatest players in any era of cricket.
"Virat is a classic example. You can see that hunger; you can see that passion in how he sees the game and how much he wants that victory. If Virat Kohli had been born in any (some other) generation, he would still be one of the greats. He is not competing with anyone else," he said.
