"We want alternate firewood cooking permission": TN Merchants' Association VP on LPG cylinder crisis

Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 10 (ANI): Amid the ongoing disruptions in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders due to the West Asia conflict, GR Durairaj, State Vice-President of the Tamil Nadu Merchants' Association, is seeking support from the government to revive the struggling hotel industry.
Speaking to ANI, Durairaj said that TN Merchants' Association President Vikramaraja met with the Chief Minister, MK Stalin and requested assistance in securing commercial cylinders for hotels, many of which have been forced to shut down due to supply issues.
Durairaj also urged the Central and State Governments to provide cylinders to mosques, temples, and churches, which serve mid-day meals to underprivileged individuals.
"Today, our leader Vikramaraja met the CM and requested support in continuing the hotel business as many of the hotels have been shut down due to the supply of commercial cylinders to the hotels...We request the Central and State Govts to support mosques, temples and churches with cylinders to be given there because all underprivileged take mid-day meals at temples, churches and mosques," Durairaj told ANI.
With many city-based hotels unable to use firewood due to strict safety and fire-inspection norms, Durairaj proposed that local bodies grant special permissions for "alternate firewood cooking" in designated areas for city establishments.
He further requested that the Central and State Governments prioritise cylinder support for these religious institutions and suggested permitting hotels to cook with firewood in designated areas, allowing them to continue serving food despite the cylinder shortage.
"So, we request the Central and State Govts to support with cylinders at least to the temples, churches and mosques. We want an alternate firewood cooking permission from the local body to be given to all the hotels to cook at some places with firewood and bring the material, and serve in their hotels. I don't think there will be an issue in village hotels and town hotels but city hotels need special places where they can cook the meals and bring it to their place to serve to the general public," he added.
The Union Government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Commodities Act (EC Act ) to ensure an uninterrupted supply of domestic cooking gas, directing refineries and petrochemical units to maximise production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and divert key hydrocarbon streams to the LPG pool.
According to the order, the supply of natural gas to certain sectors shall be treated as priority allocation and shall be maintained subject to operational availability to 100 per cent. of their average past six-month gas consumption. These sectors include: Domestic Piped Natural Gas supply; Compressed Natural Gas for transport; LPG production, including LPG shrinkage requirements; Pipeline compressor fuel and other essential pipeline operational requirements.
The order further states that the supply of natural gas to the fertiliser plants shall ensure seventy per cent. of their past six-month average gas consumption, subject to operational availability. It has also asked gas marketing entities to ensure that gas supply to tea industries, manufacturing and other industrial consumers supplied through the national gas grid is maintained at eighty per cent. of their past six-month average gas consumption, subject to operational availability.
All City Gas Distribution entities have been asked to ensure that industrial and commercial consumers supplied through their networks receive eighty per cent. of their past six-month average gas consumption, subject to operational availability.
The oil refining companies have been ordered to absorb the impact of LNG supply disruption to the extent feasible by reducing gas allocation to refineries to approximately sixty-five per cent. of the past six months' gas consumption, subject to operational feasibility.
Every producer, importer, transporter, marketer or distributor of natural gas, including LNG and regasified LNG, has been asked to furnish information relating to production, imports, stocks, allocation, supply and consumption to the Central Government or to any officer authorised by it.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued orders to oil refineries to increase Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) production and directed that such additional output be channelled specifically for domestic use.
The government prioritised domestic LPG supply to households to ensure energy security for citizens amidst the ongoing uncertainty in the global oil and energy market due to the West Asia crisis
"In light of current geopolitical disruptions to fuel supply and constraints on the supply of LPG, the Ministry has issued orders to oil refineries for higher LPG production and using such extra production for domestic LPG use," the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced on X.
To manage the current supply environment, the ministry introduced a 25-day inter-booking period for consumers to avoid hoarding and prevent black marketing. (ANI)