Jaipur: A shortage of LPG cylinders, particularly commercial ones, has triggered a sharp shift in cooking fuel use across Jaipur, with induction cooktops going out of stock at several outlets and coal prices rising amid increased demand from eateries.Retailers said the surge began in early March as LPG supply disruptions hit households and businesses. “Early March when the crisis of LPG started, we suddenly noticed a sharp rise in demand for induction cooktops. There was a time when the demand was far more than the supply. At present, the manufacturers have restored the supply. But often, the stock is clearing as fresh supplies arrive,” said a sales executive at a city retail chain. Manufacturers attributed the strain to demand from both homes and commercial establishments. Hotels and restaurants, struggling to secure LPG cylinders, have been placing bulk orders directly with companies. “The problem is most induction cooktop manufacturers assemble Chinese parts to make the final products affordable. But owing to a sudden spike it is becoming difficult to keep pace with the demand. As long as the panic continues, the demand will be on higher side,” said Deepak Virmani of a cooktop manufacturing unit. Hotel industry representatives said commercial LPG supplies have been virtually unavailable for the past two to three weeks, forcing a shift to electric alternatives. “In normal days induction cooktops are easily available and affordable. The only concern is power consumption. We have requested the government to give subsidies on power usage. Taking this as an opportunity most owners want to shift to complete electricity mode as it also safer than storing large cylinders of LPG inside our premises,” said Tarun Kumar Bansal, president of Hotels and Restaurant Association of Rajasthan (HRAR). At the lower end, roadside eateries have turned to coal-fired bhattis, pushing up fuel costs. “We sell different types of coal. Owing to the demand, price of most types of coals have increased by Rs 5 to Rs 6. The basic coal that is required for cooking in bhattis has seen a significant rise in the last one week by Rs 18 per kg as of Friday,” said Navneet Jain, owner of a coal storage.
