The Apparel Export Promotion Council has urged the Tamil Nadu government to include the apparel export sector within the 20% commercial LPG cylinder allotment permitted during the ongoing LPG shortage, warning that continued supply disruptions could affect manufacturing operations and employment in the industry.
A. Sakthivel, chairman of the council, made the appeal in a representation addressed to R. Sakkarapani, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, and T. R. B. Rajaa, the state’s Minister for Industries.
According to the representation, the council has requested the state government to allow the apparel export industry access to the limited commercial LPG supply available during the current shortage so that manufacturers can maintain essential operations.
Sakthivel stated that LPG is a critical fuel used extensively across garment manufacturing processes, particularly in processing segments such as dyeing, washing, compacting and finishing units that form an integral part of the apparel export ecosystem.
He emphasised that uninterrupted LPG supply is vital for sustaining processing activities within the sector. If the shortage persists, several processing units could be forced to suspend operations, which in turn would disrupt garment manufacturing and export production across the supply chain.
The council has therefore requested the Tamil Nadu government to consider including the apparel export sector within the 20% commercial LPG cylinder allotment so that the industry can at least receive a limited but essential supply during the present crisis.
Sakthivel further warned that the apparel sector provides direct and indirect employment to lakhs of workers across Tamil Nadu, and prolonged supply constraints could compel factories to temporarily shut down operations, severely affecting the livelihoods of workers and their families.
