Even though the government is taking steps to avoid panic-buying and black marketing of LPG, restaurant and hotel owners across the country have been severely affected by the shortage of commercial cylinders as authorities have prioritized domestic gas supply.
Industry insiders said the government’s preference for domestic gas supply to homes has impacted the delivery of commercial gas cylinders to restaurants.
However, the Center and oil companies said that gas reserves are sufficient and there is no need to panic. The government has also issued instructions to increase LPG production by 10 percent.
Eateries in Mumbai in Maharashtra, Bengaluru in Karnataka, Gurugram in NCR, etc. have started taking measures to limit LPG usage, such as switching to crisis menus featuring fast-cooking items and coal-based tandoor food to avoid closures.
Pan-Asian, Oriental cuisine suffers
Rahul Rohra, 41, of Veranda, Bandra and Khar, said cooking on high flame, especially for Pan-Asian and Oriental cuisine, has almost stopped because induction cannot replicate that intensity. Some kitchens have shifted to induction and electric cookers. Earlier HT report He was quoted as saying. “For now, we should be allowed to use charcoal for cooking,” he said.
Shiladiya Choudhary, who owns popular restaurant chains Awadh 1590 and Chowman, said they are focusing on tandoor food cooked in coal-based ovens. “There are attempts to use electric ovens as a substitute for other items, but they are not very efficient,” Choudhary said.
Pralhad Sukhtankar, president of the Goa chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), said commercial LPG supplies have come to a halt. “Distributors have switched off their phones and some restaurants have already closed. If there is no intervention, hundreds of restaurants will close down,” he said.
Jayanand Nayak, 45, owner of Ruchi Hotel in Mumbai’s Parel, said he needed three LPG cylinders every day and was getting two till Monday. “I didn’t get anything today,” said Nayak, adding that he has cut down the menu, removing items like dosa, which require a lot of cooking gas.
Bengaluru restaurants are cutting menus
Restaurants across Bengaluru have started making changes to menus and preparing for a possible shutdown as many kitchens are finding it difficult to function due to the disruption in commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply.
Hotel industry representatives say the shortage, which began earlier this week, has already forced establishments to limit gas use while looking for alternative arrangements, a separate HT report noted. Some restaurants say their remaining supplies will only last a few days.
The disruption has prompted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to seek immediate intervention from the Centre. In a letter to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday, he urged him to take steps to restore supplies so that commercial establishments can continue operating.
He said, “As per discussions with oil marketing companies, the state’s commercial LPG demand has traditionally been supported through supplies from three OMCs – IOCL (about 500-550 MT per day), HPCL (about 300 MT per day) and BPCL (about 230 MT per day) and the sudden disruption in this supply is now severely impacting hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users in Bengaluru. Is doing.”
He said, “Any disruption in their functioning will have a direct impact on daily life in the city. The issue also affects a large number of students and working professionals who stay away from their homes and depend on hotels and mess facilities for regular meals. Additionally, poultry (wedding halls), hostels and event venues that depend on commercial LPG for food preparation are also facing uncertainty, especially with scheduled social and community events.”
Will Bengaluru’s famous dosa get a shock?
Restaurant owners say the drop in supply was first felt on March 9, when many establishments received only a fraction of their normal deliveries. “The supply problem began on March 9. Most hotels received barely about 20 per cent of their normal cylinder deliveries, and since then supplies have stopped completely. Distributors themselves are not getting the cylinders, so restaurants are effectively closed.” Earlier HT report Arun Adiga, managing partner of the nearly eight decade old Vidyarthi Bhavan, has been quoted as saying.
For restaurants that rely heavily on gas-powered burners, the shortage could quickly disrupt service. “Many South Indian dishes, especially dosa, require burners that run on a steady flame. Our restaurant alone uses six to eight LPG cylinders a day, and larger establishments can consume anywhere between 10 to 12 cylinders per day,” Adiga said.
Vidyarthi Bhavan usually prepares around 1,800 to 2,000 dosas on a weekday. “Dosa consumes the most gas in our kitchen. The immediate step we took was to reduce the number of tavas running at the same time. If we switch off two of them, one cylinder runs a little longer. This may help us extend the supply by another day or two, but beyond that there is very little we can do if the supply does not resume,” he said.
The shortage is also evident at the distribution level. An employee at a gas agency said customers were calling repeatedly as the waiting period had become long.
The employee said, “The waiting period for cylinders has increased to about 25 days, and we are constantly getting calls from customers worried about the delay. We have stopped the supply of commercial cylinders as we are not getting any stock. Domestic cylinders are still being delivered, but many customers are calling and asking if they can get a replacement cylinder.”
Restaurant operators say that even the black market has not been able to provide any reliable solution. SP Krishnaraj, owner of Nisarga Grand Hotel on Nripathunga Road, said availability remains scarce. “As of today we have only five cylinders left. Even in the black market the price of a cylinder is around this ₹from 2,800 ₹3,000, and despite paying so much it is still difficult to find. The official price of a 19 kg commercial cylinder is approximately ₹1,940,” he said.
Subramanya Holla S, president of the Bengaluru Hotel Association, said, “LPG supply has already been cut, and there are indications that the situation could worsen. If the supply is completely cut off, restaurants will have to compulsorily close. We are asking the government to limit the supply available instead of stopping it completely, so that establishments can continue to operate with smaller menus and shorter working hours.”
Holla said, “Some establishments are looking at diesel burners as a temporary solution. However, they are neither economical nor particularly safe, but many restaurants have little choice because they do not use electricity for cooking.”
He said the government notification of cut in commercial LPG supply has given rise to black market activity.
“The notification encouraged hoarding and black marketing, making it even more difficult for small businesses to obtain cylinders,” he said.
Himachal Pradesh
The time of crisis in Himachal Pradesh came just before summer tourism. Anil Walia, advisor to Shimla hotels and tourism stakeholders, said they are on the verge of “closure” as many hotels are cutting down their menus. “This is bad news before the start of the summer tourist season.”
Sanjay Gupta, manager of Super Gas Agency in Atawa village near Chandigarh, said that no new cylinder has been received in the last three days. “Restaurant owners are getting a little worried because they can’t stock up or hoard commercial cylinders,” he said.
Meanwhile, NRAI issued an advisory to member restaurants and asked them to make changes in the menu.
“Ongoing geopolitical developments have caused serious disruption in the supply chain of commercial LPG…NRAI urges all members to immediately adopt fuel conservation measures to ensure operational continuity,” association president Sagar Daryani said on Tuesday.
“Immediate LPG conversation measures – rationalize menus by temporarily prioritizing dishes requiring low gas usage or short cooking cycles, train kitchen staff daily on gas conservation discipline, review hours of operation and consider reduced hours in low-demand locations, use alternative cooking solutions and offer limited crisis menus with fast-cooking items,” the two-page advisory said.
(With inputs from HT reporters)
