LPG Crisis Hits Chennai: Hotel Owners Write To PM Modi For Quick Solution

Chennai: In the face of a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders needed for the food industry, Hotel owners in Chennai have expressed concern that restaurants in the city are being forced to close due to the lack of supply.

In this situation, the Bangalore Hotel Owners Association has also announced that restaurants would not function in the city due to the shortage of cylinders. According to hotel owners, there is a similar risk in Tamil Nadu.

According to them, their business has been affected for the second day due to the shortage of cylinders. Due to the shortage of commercial cylinders, boards have been put up in many hotels in Chennai stating that there is no 'variety rice'. Production of food items, including idlis and rotis has also been suspended.

Rajan, a hotel owner in Royapettah, Chennai, said, "My hotel requires more than five cylinders per day for cooking. At present, only two cylinders are available. Due to the cylinder shortage, we have reduced the three-time cooking to two. Also, from tomorrow, there may be a complete lack of cylinders. This has affected business to a great extent. Even during the Corona period, we ran the hotel without closing the shop even for a day, but if the cylinder stock runs out, we will be forced to close our hotels.”

Banana leaf trader Sangareswaran also echoed the same. He said, "Due to the cylinder shortage, food supply has been stopped in more than five shops in Thyagaraya Nagar alone. In Thyagaraya Nagar, 5000 banana leaves are usually distributed to hotels per day. In this situation, only 1500 leaves have been distributed today due to the cylinder shortage. Not only hotels, but other hotel-related businesses have also been badly affected by the cylinder shortage."

Speaking on the issue, Chennai Hotels’ Association secretary Rajkumar said, "A letter has been sent to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on behalf of the Hotel Owners’ Association to ensure us proper supply.”

He further said pressure has been put on the Centre and state governments to create a situation where restaurants are not closed in any way. “We have also requested the Chief Minister to bring restaurants under the ESMA Act to end the cylinder shortage,” he added.

The association said that the IT industry, colleges, tourism, travellers and banquets for weddings and conferences are the main customers who are likely to bear the brunt and appealed to the Prime Minister to address the issue immediately.

No tea, coffee in hotels

Meanwhile, due to the gas cylinder shortage, it has been announced that there will be no chapati, dosa, tea, or coffee in hotels in Chennai. Similarly, there will be no guruma or sambar. Only chutney will be served, the Tamil Nadu IT Employees Hostel and PG Owners Association has announced.

Due to the war in West Asia, the global fuel shortage is increasing day by day. As a result of the conflict, there is a shortage in the supply of cooking gas cylinders in India. The Strait of Hormuz, which is the route for transporting crude oil, has been choked. As a result, production in oil-producing countries has declined, and crude oil prices have risen.