Ranchi, March 10 Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari appealed to the Centre on Tuesday to ensure the smooth supply of commercial LPG cylinders to industries and hotels in the state.
Ansari said he has written to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, seeking immediate intervention.
"Commercial LPG cylinders are widely used in the state's hotels and restaurants. Many hotels also supply food to hospitals. Any disruption in cylinder supply could adversely affect hotel businesses, the livelihoods of people associated with them, and the convenience of the general public," he said.
Amid the West Asia crisis, the government has revised the priority order for allocating domestically produced natural gas, placing LPG production alongside CNG and piped cooking gas at the top. This has led to a supply crunch for hotels and restaurants, which use market-priced commercial LPG.
Ansari said several industrial units had also flagged the issue.
"In my letter, I have mentioned that several industrial institutions, including Usha Martin Limited in Ranchi, have informed me that they are facing difficulties in operating their industrial canteens, due to which food arrangements for thousands of workers employed there are being impacted," he said in a statement.
Ansari said a prolonged shortage could affect industrial operations in the state.
"If this situation persists, it could also have an adverse effect on the operations of industrial units, which may jeopardise the state's industrial progress,” he said, urging the Centre to ensure the supply of commercial LPG cylinders.
