Fuel fallout from Middle East war spills into Madhya Pradesh too; hotels explore electric cooking

BHOPAL: Hotels and restaurants in Madhya Pradesh are exploring electric cooking systems and revamping menus as restricted supplies of commercial LPG cylinders begin to disrupt kitchen operations, prompting hospitality sector to prepare contingency plans amid global supply uncertainties.Several hotels said they have temporarily limited live counters and high-consumption LPG-based cooking stations to conserve existing fuel stocks. After Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai, hoteliers in Madhya Pradesh have now flagged concerns over the curbs in commercial LPG supplies.

The MP Hotel Association held an urgent online meeting of hoteliers from across the state on Tuesday to discuss contingency measures and alternate arrangements to keep restaurants and room services running.

Around 20 hotel operators from cities including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur participated in the meeting. Industry representatives said several establishments are left with barely five days of LPG stocks and could face kitchen shutdowns if supplies are not restored soon. The hospitality sector depends heavily on commercial LPG cylinders for large-scale cooking in hotel kitchens and banquet operations.

Sumit Suri of MP Hoteliers Association said that a complete halt in LPG supplies would severely affect the hospitality sector. “We understand that this is a geopolitical situation, but supplies should not be stopped completely. If required, they may be curtailed, but the government should prioritise supplies for hospitality sector and give the industry time to prepare alternate arrangements so that operations can continue,” he said.