Commercial LPG shortage: Stocks will last only for 1-2 days, say TN hotels
Chennai : Restaurants across Tamil Nadu are staring at a bleak future with existing stocks expected to last only for one or two days due to a sudden shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, as a result of the West Asia conflict.
Some hotels and restaurants have already cut down on the food items offered in order to reduce the LPG use.
Representatives of the Tamil Nadu and Chennai Hotels Association called on Chief Minister M K Stalin at the Secretariat here and requested his urgent intervention.
"Today, we called on the Chief Minister and apprised him of the situation as it is not sustainable to run the operations under the present circumstances. He assured us that he will take it up with the Prime Minister and also with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry... We hope the issue will be sorted out soon," Tamil Nadu Hotels Association Honorary President M Ravi said.
Ruling out the feasibility of operating the hotels by using traditional wood or coal, he said, "As an alternate methodology, we can shift to commercial induction cooking as the existing infrastructure does not allow us to use wood or coal. Also, it causes pollution." Asked whether the use of induction stoves would escalate the food price owing to power consumption, he replied that currently, hotels pay a 30 per cent peak hour surcharge on electricity and instead they would pay the GST charges.
"Today, we are paying 30 per cent for usage of power as peak hour charges. Tamil Nadu has become A surplus power producer. In that case, they may allow us to use induction stoves. Second, by using induction stoves we will be paying GST charges (to the government) instead of the hefty 30 per cent charges," he said.
The hotel body also indicated that the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders would further impact supply of vegetables, payment of salaries to employees, and result in suspension of production.
Earlier, commenting on the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, Ravi told PTI: "It is like a second COVID-19-enforced lockdown for us. We are cutting down on the usage of LPG cylinders. We have reduced the number of food items. For dosa, tea or coffee, the stove should be receiving LPG supply non-stop. We have cut the number of items now and are providing food only in limited numbers."
To a query, he said, "We expect to run for one or two days with existing stock. If there is no supply of commercial LPG cylinders, we have no other choice but to suspend operations. COVID-19 lockdown-like situation returning."
Meanwhile, Sri Ananda's, another popular hotel in Chennai, displayed in the menu on Tuesday that due to a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, food items have been largely reduced.
