New Delhi:Hotel and restaurant industry bodies in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai have flagged the shortage of commercial cooking gas cylinders due to supply disruptions amid the war in the Middle East, with the Centre ordering oil refineries to increase liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production.

The price of LPG cylinders was also increased last Saturday due to the Iran-Israel-US war and the disruption it caused in key energy shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz. The rates of household cooking gas were raised by Rs 60 and commercial LPG cylinders by Rs 115.

The Bangalore Hotels Association on Monday said the hotel and restaurant operations across the city are likely to be affected starting March 10."Since the gas supply has stopped, the hotels will be closed from tomorrow," the association said in a statement.

"Since the hotel industry is an essential service, common people, students, and medical professionals, who rely on the hotels for daily meals, will be affected," it said."In addition, our hotel industry will also face difficulties until the gas supply returns to normal," it added.

The association said oil companies had guaranteed an uninterrupted gas supply for 70 days, making the sudden stoppage a "big blow" to the hotel industry.

Source:Ndtv