LPG crisis: Supply stopped in Siliguri hotels, restaurants

Siliguri: The impact of the ongoing war in West Asia is now being felt in the kitchens of Siliguri. Despite having booked, many consumers are unable to receive their LPG supply.

The situation has also created serious concern among restaurant and hotel owners in the city. According to sources, while LPG cylinders are still being supplied to households, the supply of commercial cylinders to industries and restaurants has been temporarily halted. If the situation continues, restaurants and eateries will find it impossible to provide services, which could directly affect the region’s tourism industry.

Since Wednesday morning, long queues were seen outside LPG distributor offices across the city. Residents claim that repeated attempts to book gas cylinders online or through other channels have failed.

Kaushik Sarkar, Secretary of the North Bengal and Sikkim LPG Distributors’ Association, said that commercial gas supply to restaurants and industries has been temporarily suspended. “Currently, commercial LPG cylinders are being supplied only to hospitals and educational institutions. However, there is no reason for household consumers to panic,” he said.

Sarkar also mentioned that the booking issue is mainly due to a server problem. “Bookings are not being processed because the server is down. Once the system starts functioning normally, the gas supply will resume as usual. There is no need for panic,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ujjal Ghosh, Joint Secretary of the Siliguri Hoteliers’ Association, expressed concern over the situation. “If guests stay in hotels, it is essential that we have gas cylinders in our kitchens. Without gas, we won’t even be able to provide hot water to them.

If this continues, it will have a direct impact on the entire tourism industry,” he said. Ghosh added that the association will soon approach the concerned government departments seeking assistance and request immediate alternative arrangements.

Siliguri has a large number of restaurants and hotels, including many small eateries that depend entirely on commercial LPG cylinders for their daily operations. The crisis has raised fears about the livelihood of those who run such establishments.

Chitish Gurung, an eatery owner said: “If we do not get commercial gas cylinders, we will have to close our eateries. In that case, how will we earn our livelihood? The government should look into this matter immediately,” he said.

A similar situation has reportedly emerged in the hill town of Darjeeling as well.

The Darjeeling Hoteliers’ Association has written to the District Magistrate, requesting immediate intervention to resolve the issue.