Amid the conflict in West Asia leading to apprehensions of a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) across the country, the apex body representing hotels and travel trade in Goa has written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, flagging that the crisis could lead to the closure of many food and beverage establishments and hotels around the coastal state and impact tourism.
In a letter addressed to the chief minister on Wednesday, the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) said, “With the West Asia conflict disrupting energy supply chains, the hospitality and restaurants sector in India is grappling with a growing shortage of commercial LPG supply as the government has taken steps to temporarily limit cooking gas cylinders to high priority sectors such as education and hospitals. This could lead to the closing down of many food and beverage establishments and hotels around Goa, which will lead to a crisis and affect tourism in Goa. A lot of ancillary businesses will also be severely affected.”
The tourism body pointed out that a majority of restaurants, beach shacks and catering services rely on LPG for business. “A 25-day stockpile will probably not be sufficient, and although the Iran crisis seems distant, it is threatening to affect Goa’s economy,” it said.
The association urged the chief minister to “prioritise dialogue with the Centre and also take the suppliers and distribution network into confidence” and to call a meeting of all the stakeholders to address the issue and formulate a plan. It further urged the government to instruct officials to implement district-wise measures to prevent LPG cylinders from being diverted to the black market.
“We urgently request you to ensure that commercial LPG is continuously available for all establishments throughout this period,” the association wrote.
Sawant told the media on Wednesday that the situation is being closely monitored. “There is no need to panic. There is no shortage of LPG cylinders for domestic use. There are issues when it comes to commercial LPG supply. We are in touch with the Union Ministry and are following the guidelines of the Centre.”
