CHENNAI: As shortage of commercial LPG forces eateries to cut menus and consider shifting to induction cooking, a team of representatives from hotels and restaurants that will meet Chief Secretary N Muruganandam on Wednesday has decided to seek electricity subsidies from the state government.
The meeting assumes significance as many eateries have only a few days of LPG stock left following supply disruption due to the West Asia conflict. M Venkadasubbu, president of the Tamil Nadu Hotels Association (TNHA), said the industry will urge the state government to support switching to the immediate alternative of electric cooking by easing peak-hour charges and reducing deposit requirements for power connections. The association has also taken up the issue with the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which has constituted a three-member committee to review the issue.
Many hotels have removed fried items from their menus, while others are introducing limited offerings to conserve gas. K T Srinivasa Raja of the Adyar Ananda Bhavan chain said smaller establishments, particularly in smaller towns, could be forced to shut if the shortage persists.
“The cost of migrating to induction cooking is high because of peak-hour electricity charges between 6 am and 10 am and again from 6 pm to 10 pm. Larger businesses may manage, but smaller players will find it difficult,” he said. Adyar Ananda Bhavan has introduced induction stoves in some outlets located in airports, metro stations, and railway premises, with about 10% of its network already shifting to electric cooking. Highway outlets remain vulnerable, he added, as many do not have access to high-capacity power lines, he said. M Ravi, owner of the Vasanta Bhavan chain, said, “Meals will not be available for now. Instead we will serve items such as sambar rice and curd rice, while dosas will be provided only for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening,” he said, adding that tandoor dishes will continue to be prepared using charcoal.
Annapoorna Restaurants, based out of Coimbatore, introduced temporary operational changes from Tuesday, included a limited menu and revised operational timings. Mohammad Zeeshan, owner of Ahmedia Hotel in Vaniyambadi, Tirupattur, said that in his hotel, they have started using firewood for cooking mutton biryani. “However, we also serve North Indian cuisines, which cannot be prepared on firewood,” he said.
K Sathyaraj, a roadside food vendor in Coimbatore, said that he has closed his stall due to the cylinder issue.
S Nagarajan, secretary, Tiruppur District Hotel Owners Association, said, “In Tiruppur city, more than 3,000 shops, including large, medium and small hotels and bakeries, are dependent on commercial cylinders.” “If hotels are closing, workers will also be affected. We can’t pay salaries without operating outlets,” he added.
Madurai-based Temple City Group of Hotel’s managing director KL Kumar said, “We are utilising large boilers to prepare rice, sambar, and other dishes. However, items such as dosa, chapati, paratha, coffee, and hot beverages require LPG. Since these items consume a significant amount of LPG, we are planning to offer them only for next two days.”
Guru Renganathan, president of Tiruchy District Hotel Association, said most hotels are running on their existing stock of cylinders since fresh supply has stopped. “As of now operations are normal in Tiruchy. There is no plan to cut down on timing and menus. Hotels that have electric stoves are managing to an extent. However, as the cylinders run out, we may face difficulty in the coming days,”
(With inputs from Nimisha Pradeep @ Vellore, M Saravanan @ Coimbatore, P Srinivasan @ Tiruppur, MP Saravanan @ Madurai, D Vincent Arockiaraj @ Tiruchy)