Oil companies have restored the supply of commercial cylinders since Sunday, after which normal operations are expected to resume today in approximately 50,000 hotels and restaurants across the state, including Jaipur.
Amid the LPG crisis that has gripped Rajasthan for the past week, there is finally some relief. The state’s hotel and restaurant industry, which had been pushed to the brink due to the shortage of cooking gas, has received a much-needed lifeline. Oil companies resumed the supply of commercial LPG cylinders on Sunday, and normal operations are expected to resume from today in nearly 50,000 hotels and restaurants across the state, including Jaipur.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara stated that bookings for commercial cylinders have commenced, and around 30% of establishments will receive supply today. The situation will gradually normalise. The minister alleged that the Congress spread rumours to create 'panic' among the public, while supply has been continuously maintained based on online bookings.
Gajendra Lunival, President of the Federation of Rajasthan Hotel Association, said that not a single commercial cylinder had been supplied to any hotel or restaurant in the state for the past 6-7 days. The situation had become so dire that around 1300 hotels in Jaipur, along with 15,000 hotels and 35,000 restaurants across the state, were on the verge of closure. As an alternative arrangement, operators resorted to induction and diesel stoves, but this proved to be quite expensive. Due to this crisis, many hotels had to make changes to their 'menus'. However, the government will now supply commercial gas cylinders. This is a matter of relief.
Furthermore, many food stalls in the city had shut down due to the unavailability of cylinders. With the resumption of supply, these small vendors will also receive significant relief.
The impact of the gas crisis was also visible in market trends. There has been a sudden surge in the sales of induction stoves over the past week. Given the uncertainty of cylinders, most operators have incorporated electric appliances into their kitchens to cope with such situations in the future.
While there is good news for commercial consumers, there is still a scramble for domestic gas cylinders. On Sunday too, consumers were seen queuing outside gas agencies in many places.
The LPG shortage has also heated up the political climate in the state. Amidst the chaos at gas agencies, Congress workers are continuously staging protests. Countering this, the government has stated that arrangements are being streamlined and the opposition is merely misleading the public by spreading confusion. The administration claims that the situation will completely normalise within the next two to three days.