Shimla, March 11 -- In view of the prevailing situation arising due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi on Wednesday expressed concern that rationing of LPG under the Essential Commodities Act could severely impact households and the tourism sector in the hill state if supply shortages continue. The minister cautioned that prolonged shortages could force people to revert to traditional cooking methods such as firewood or old stoves, which would create additional hardships for households in the region. Negi said that LPG supply is completely controlled by the Central government and any decision on rationing or restrictions could directly affect daily life across Himachal Pradesh and other states. "LPG is totally controlled by the Central government and the entire supply is with them. If rationing of essential commodities continues due to shortages, it will create serious problems. Forget about tourism, first every household kitchen will be affected. If people are unable to cook food on time, it will disrupt daily life. Children have to go to school, workers have to go to work, and if there is no food on time, how will people manage their day," said Negi. He further said that tourism, one of the key sectors of the hill state's economy, could also face setbacks if fuel shortages continue, as hospitality units and local businesses depend heavily on LPG and other fuels. He added that the state government is monitoring the situation closely but the availability of LPG ultimately depends on supply decisions taken by the Centre. Earlier during the day, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had expressed concern over LPG supply. "LPG distribution is done by the central government. I read that the Centre has expressed concern regarding this, and we hope the issue will be resolved smoothly," Sukhu had said. Around 15,000 commercial LPG cylinders were currently available in the state. This was shared by Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta on Wednesday after a review meeting to assess the availability of petrol, diesel and domestic as well as commercial LPG in the state in view of the current situation arising due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The CS said that despite this, private and government hospitals as well as educational institutions were being provided full supply of commercial LPG cylinders on priority to ensure that essential services continue without disruption.He said Himachal presently has sufficient stock of petrol, diesel and domestic cooking gas and there is no need for the public to worry. During the meeting, the CS reviewed the supply position of essential fuels across the state and directed officials to ensure uninterrupted availability for the public. The Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association has urged the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department to intervene urgently in the ongoing shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, warning that the situation is severely affecting hotel and restaurant operations in the hill town. This comes after day after Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Association has submitted a representation to Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of petroleum and natural gas, Government of India, highlighting that the hospitality industry, particularly in tourism-dependent states like Himachal, relies heavily on commercial LPG cylinders for day-to-day operations such as cooking and food preparation. In a letter addressed to the Director of Tourism, the association said the non-supply of commercial LPG cylinders has forced many hotel kitchens in Shimla to partially or completely suspend operations, causing disruption to hospitality services in the region. The association said the crisis has also affected the preparation of meals for hotel staff, as kitchens rely heavily on commercial LPG....