A Bengaluru-based woman entrepreneur has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking urgent intervention to resolve the commercial LPG shortage affecting the hospitality sector.
Roopa Shastri, owner of Rasapaka Hotel in the Gandhinagar area, addressed the letter on behalf of women entrepreneurs in Karnataka, highlighting the severe challenges faced by small hotels due to reduced LPG supply.
Women entrepreneurs face severe operational challenges
In her letter, Shastri said the supply of commercial LPG cylinders had reportedly reduced by more than 50 per cent, making it extremely difficult for restaurants and small hotels to continue operations.
“With a more than 50% reduction in the supply of commercial cylinders, it is becoming impossible to run hotels like our Rasapaka, which feed hundreds of people every day,” she wrote.
She emphasised that the shortage is not only affecting businesses but also the livelihoods of many workers employed in the sector.
Livelihoods and women’s empowerment at risk
Shastri noted that the hotel industry supports thousands of women workers and entrepreneurs across the state.
According to her, the rising cost of LPG cylinders has already begun eroding profit margins, putting additional financial pressure on small establishments.
“The increase in cylinder prices is completely wiping out our profit margins. It is hitting the livelihood of thousands of women workers who rely on it,” she stated in the letter.
She added that it was unfortunate that businesses built through years of hard work by women entrepreneurs were now facing a critical situation due to fuel shortages.
Call for priority supply and financial support
In the letter, Shastri urged the government to take immediate steps to stabilise the supply of commercial LPG cylinders in Karnataka.
She also requested special priority for hotels run by women entrepreneurs and called for a subsidy or economic support package to help small hotels manage rising fuel costs until the supply situation improves.
The LPG shortage has emerged amid global energy disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The Union government has invoked the **Essential Commodities Act to prioritise domestic LPG supply for households, hospitals and essential services, which has resulted in restricted distribution of commercial cylinders in several regions.