Restore LPG supply, want essential service tag for restaurants: NRAI to Centre

Gurgaon: National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) has urged the Centre to "immediately restore" uninterrupted supply of commercial LPG cylinders and classify the restaurant industry as part of "essential services".Stressing that food supply is an "inescapable service", the association has recalled that restaurants and food-delivery infrastructure were officially classified as essential during the pandemic. The appeal has come against the backdrop of eateries across the country facing severe operational challenges due to the widespread disruption in commercial LPG availability.In a letter — dated March 10 — addressed to Union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri, NRAI said that although the Centre publicly clarified that there is no ban on supplying commercial LPG cylinders to restaurants, the ground situation contradicted this. "Suppliers have expressed inability," the letter said.Distributors across multiple states allegedly stopped delivery, citing instructions circulated on March 9 by All India LPG Distributors Federation (AILPGDF), which categorised restaurants as "non-essential commercial establishments".The NRAI leadership — including president Sagar Daryani, vice-presidents Zorawar Kalra and Pranav Rungta and secretary general Prakul Kumar — pointed out that the stoppage of commercial LPG has left "thousands of restaurants struggling to operate normal kitchens". The restaurant industry "continues to face tough challenges" in maintaining operations, the association said, seeking an urgent meeting with the govt to discuss the industry-wide crisis. NRAI Gurgaon president Joy Singh said a letter — dated March 9 — was circulated to all distributors by AILPGDF, which wrongly categorised the restaurant industry as a non-essential commercial establishment. "Most of the major restaurants in Gurgaon are connected to PNG supply and disruption in commercial LPG will not affect the services. But there are many other standalone and small units, which may be affected," said Singh.NRAI requested the state and central govts to issue a clarification regarding the supply of commercial LPG for the restaurant industry as an essential service. The sustained supply of commercial LPG to the restaurant industry will ensure that "food to citizens is not disrupted", ir said. The domestic disruption is unfolding against the backdrop of the escalating Iraq–Israel war, which triggered a sharp rise in global geopolitical tensions and rattled international energy markets.