A delegation of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Vijayawada Hotel Association and AP Star Hotel Association met Nupur Civil Supplies Director Ajay Kumar in Vijayawada on Tuesday. | Photo credit: HANDOUT
A delegation representing the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Vijayawada Hotel Association and AP Star Hotel Association met Civil Supplies Director Nupur Ajay Kumar on Tuesday and asked her to look into the acute shortage of commercial gas cylinders that has gripped the state for the past 10 days.
Hoteliers met an official of the Civil Supplies Department in view of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s directive to officials during the Secretariat meeting to prioritize supply of commercial LPG cylinders to the hotel industry to avoid a complete shutdown.
Ms. Nupur assured the hoteliers that the gas reserves (currently with 30%-40% availability) will be distributed fairly. There would be no discrimination between big star hotels and small restaurants; deliveries would be prorated based on their previous average consumption, she said.
To save fuel, the government is considering “COVID”-style restrictions requiring all hotels, restaurants and street food centers to close by 10 p.m. This move is expected to save around 10 to 20% of daily gas consumption.
Alternative fuels
The government has proposed shifting the focus to tandoori (charcoal/wood based) items and traditional wood stoves for dishes like biryani. Hotels have been advised to cut back on items that require high-pressure gas burners, such as Chinese kitchens, until the crisis subsides.
District Weekly Holidays: To avoid inconvenience to citizens, District Collectors have been empowered to introduce staggered weekly holidays. Instead of a city-wide shutdown, different zones will close on different days (eg zone A on Monday, zone B on Tuesday).
Officials say that a formal NV was expected to be published soon regarding the implementation of central government directives and specific state supply regulations.
JAC members said the industry is at a tipping point. They said if the industry shuts down completely, they risk losing manpower, especially skilled North Indian personnel who may return to their home states. “Even if we get only 20%-30% of our usual supply, we are determined to keep the kitchens operational to serve the public,” said AP Star Hotels Association president RV Swamy.
Vijayawada Hotels Association president Ramana Rao said while the situation in Andhra Pradesh was relatively better than neighboring states, districts like Anantapur and Kurnool were facing acute shortages that required immediate intervention.
The JAC, however, promised full cooperation to the state government and the civil supplies ministry to manage the crisis without a complete shutdown of catering services in the state.
Published – 17 March 2026 20:43 IST
