Bengaluru Gas Crisis: Hotels May Shut Down From Today As Cylinder Supply Halts

Hotels in Bengaluru may shut down from March 10 due to a sudden halt in commercial gas cylinder supply following a price hike. The Hotel Owners’ Association warns kitchens cannot operate if supplies are not restored soon.

Bengaluru: People in Bengaluru are getting worried as the city's hotels might have to shut down. The reason? A sudden stop in the supply of commercial gas cylinders, which comes right after a price hike.

The war in the Middle East has already affected gas supply. First, the price of commercial cylinders shot up, and now, the supply has been completely cut off. Hotel owners are in a fix. Without gas, they can't run their kitchens. The Hotel Owners' Association has warned that if this continues, they will have no choice but to close their doors from March 10.

'We will have to shut if cylinders don't arrive'

Krishnaraj, the Joint Secretary of the Hotel Association, gave a strong warning about the situation. "This is not our decision; it's the pressure the government is putting on us," he said. "If they had given us some notice, we wouldn't be in this situation. We haven't decided to shut down, but we simply aren't getting any cylinders."

He added, "We only have enough stock to last until tomorrow afternoon. If the supply doesn't resume by then, all hotels will have to close. They should have given us at least a 15-day warning." Krishnaraj clarified that the association has not called for a shutdown, but if there's no way to prepare food, they have no other option. He has urged the government to step in immediately.

The association also pointed out that the central government had previously claimed there was a 70-day stock of gas. "But from this morning, the supply just stopped out of the blue. So many people depend on hotels," the association stated. They have already written to the central government and informed state ministers about the crisis.

"Hotels buy gas for their daily needs, so we don't keep a large stock. This problem isn't just in Bengaluru; Tamil Nadu is also facing the same issue," the association explained. "The state government blames the Centre, but the state also has a role in this. They must provide a solution."

If hotels close, it will cause problems for everyone—owners, customers, and even the farmers who supply vegetables. "If the gas supply is stopped so suddenly, our entire industry will collapse," a member said.