- Hotels in Tamil Nadu have reduced food menus due to a commercial LPG shortage
- Many hotels have LPG stock for only two to three days and may soon stop operations
- Annapoorna and Sangeetha chains limit food options to essential items only
Hotels in Chennai and several districts across Tamil Nadu have minimised their food menus, prioritising only essential items, as they struggle to manage a shortage of commercial LPG, or cooking gas, cylinders.
Hotel associations say many establishments across the state have LPG stock sufficient for only two to three days. They say hotels may be forced to stop if the situation does not improve.
Restaurant chains such as Annapoorna and Sangeetha have announced limited food options due to LPG shortage.
Annapoorna restaurants in Coimbatore have placed notices outside their branches saying due to LPG cylinder shortage, the menu has been minimised to make only essential food items.
Similarly, Sangeetha restaurants have displayed notices across their branches informing customers that only limited essential food varieties will be available for a restricted time.
"It is really difficult. We are managing only with the stock we have. We have reduced the number of varieties. Instead of multiple types of kurma, we are serving only one variety of kurma and sambar. We have stopped making items like appam. If the situation continues, we may also stop fast food items," Narayanan, supervisor at Hotel Anandhas, told NDTV.
His hotel, too, is serving only essential food items and has restricted the number of side dishes.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin held a review meeting with officials on the situation, and also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
There are also reports of delay in delivering domestic LPG cylinders in Chennai.
"Usually, we get 1,701 cylinders per day, but now we are receiving only around 371. We have been receiving many calls from customers, and it takes nearly a week to meet the demand," a domestic gas dealer told NDTV.
Manikandan, a Chennai resident, who booked an LPG cylinder on March 6, is yet to get it.
"I usually get a cylinder in three days. This time it is getting delayed. The delivery agent said the delay may get longer," he said.
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