Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 11 (ANI): The ongoing shortage of commercial LPG cylinders affecting hotels and restaurants across the country may continue for another month, the Coimbatore District Hoteliers' Association (CDHA) warned on Tuesday, urging the government to take immediate steps to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply to the hospitality sector.

Balachandar Raju, Secretary of the Coimbatore District Hoteliers' Association, said restaurants in the city have been struggling to operate due to the limited availability of LPG cylinders over the past several days. He noted that the shortage is not confined to Tamil Nadu but is being experienced across the country.

'For the past 10-12 days, the whole nation has been facing LPG shortage issues, and our city is facing the same problem. We have no fuel to run the restaurant. The whole of India is troubled by this LPG shortage,' Raju said.

He said the association has approached both the state and central governments seeking intervention, as restaurants rely heavily on LPG cylinders for daily operations. According to Raju, authorities have informed industry representatives that domestic supply and essential services have been given priority in the current situation.

'The government needs to intervene and ensure the supply of LPG for the basic needs of people. We have presented this issue to both the Tamil Nadu government and the central government. Our association has met with ministers to discuss the problem. They have stated that they won't be able to supply commercial cylinders for commercial purposes and have prioritised domestic use, as well as for hospitals, educational sectors, and crematoriums,' he added.

Raju further explained that global supply disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia are contributing to the shortage and warned that the problem may not be resolved immediately.

'We hope the issue will be rectified soon. Even though the vessels start from the port now, it might take another 20 days to sail and reach our country. Then, there is a process of converting crude oil to LPG, which will take another week's time. We expect to face this issue for another 30 days,' he said.

In the meantime, some eateries are exploring alternative cooking methods, though Raju said these are not viable long-term solutions. 'We will not be able to run without LPG. For the time being, we are planning to cook with firewood, but we cannot run the entire operation this way. Immediate action needs to be taken by the government,' he said.

Meanwhile, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) President MH Jawahirullah criticised the Centre's handling of the crisis, alleging that rising LPG prices and supply constraints could push hotels and restaurants towards closure.

'The Union Government said that we have enough stock of LPG, but they have hiked the price of domestic LPG gas by around Rs 60, and the prices of cylinders supplied to hotels and restaurants have also increased. Hotel and restaurant owners say they do not have enough gas and may be forced to close their establishments,' Jawahirullah said.

The shortage has emerged amid global energy supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. In response, the Union government has invoked the Essential Commodities Act to prioritise domestic LPG supply, reserving higher allocations for households, hospitals, and essential services while restricting commercial distribution in several regions.

Industry bodies have warned that unless supply stabilises soon, the hospitality sector could face widespread operational disruptions in the coming weeks. (ANI)