Cooking fuel shortage: Hoteliers meet Civil Supplies official, seek solution to crisis

A delegation representing the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Vijayawada Hotels Association and the AP Star Hotels Association met the Director of Civil Supplies Nupur Ajay Kumar on Tuesday and requested her to address the severe commercial gas cylinder shortage that has gripped the State over the past 10 days.

The hoteliers met the Civil Supplies department official in view of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s directive to the officials during a Secretariat meeting to prioritise the supply of commercial LPG cylinders to the hotel industry to prevent a total shutdown.

Ms. Nupur assured the hoteliers that gas supplies (currently at 30%–40% availability) would be distributed fairly. There would be no discrimination between large star hotels and small eateries; supply would be allocated proportionately based on their previous average consumption, she said.

To conserve fuel, the government is considering a “COVID-style” restriction, requiring all hotels, restaurants, and street-food centres to close by 10:00 p.m. This move is expected to save approximately 10% to 20% of gas consumption daily.

Alternative fuels

The government has suggested shifting focus toward tandoori (charcoal/wood-based) items and traditional wood-fired stoves for dishes like biryani. Hotels have been advised to restrict items that require high-pressure gas burners such as Chinese cuisine, until the crisis subsides.

Zonal weekly holidays: To ensure citizens are not inconvenienced, District Collectors have been empowered to implement staggered weekly holidays. Instead of a city-wide shutdown, different zones will close on different days (e.g., Zone A on Monday, Zone B on Tuesday).

Officials indicate that a formal G.O. regarding the implementation of the Central Government’s directives and State-specific supply regulations was expected to be released shortly.

The JAC members said the industry was at a breaking point. They said If the industry shuts down completely, they would risk losing their workforce, especially skilled North Indian staff who may return to their home States. “Even if we receive only 20%–30% of our usual supply, we are committed to keeping the kitchens running to serve the public,” said president of AP Star Hotels Association R.V. Swamy.

President of Vijayawada Hotels Association Ramana Rao said while the situation in Andhra Pradesh was relatively better than in neighbouring States, districts like Anantapur and Kurnool were facing acute shortages that needed immediate intervention.

The JAC, however, pledged full cooperation to the State government and the Civil Supplies Department to navigate the crisis without causing a total shutdown of food services in the State.