Kolkata: Restaurants across Kolkata are struggling with a severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, forcing many eateries to reduce menu options, increase prices and even consider temporary closure. Industry representatives said several food outlets have also started using wood-fired ovens to continue cooking as LPG supplies remain limited. The disruption in supply has been linked to the recent escalation in tensions in West Asia, which has affected LPG imports into India. The situation has also been worsened by a directive from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas that prioritises LPG supply for domestic households over commercial users.
Industry bodies warned on Thursday that the shortage could affect the survival of many food businesses if the supply situation does not improve soon. Sudesh Poddar said restaurants depend heavily on LPG for cooking large quantities of food.
“If the shortage continues, normal restaurant operations will become extremely difficult,” he said. Some well-known restaurants have already started changing the way their kitchens operate. Debaditya Chaudhury said restaurants may have to adjust their menu if LPG supplies remain irregular.
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In a message shared on social media, he said, “These are difficult days, and I won’t pretend otherwise. But Chowman is one of the most technologically advanced F&B companies of the country and we’ve built a system with years of hard work to meet moments like this without losing ourselves.
“Hence as of today we’re keeping our full menu. We’re holding our standards. Every Chowman outlet across India will be operational during normal hours, fully, because pulling back now would feel like pulling back on the people who rely on us,” he said.
Chaudhury added, “I won’t say it’s easy. But I will promise we’re trying hard to do this together….I truly believe we shall overcome through it together.”
Some popular food outlets such as Arsalan and Dada Boudir Biriyani have started using wood-fired ovens to manage the shortage.
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Sweet shop Girish Chandra Dey & Nakur Chandra Nandy is also operating with limited LPG supply and has reduced the preparation of certain sweets that require longer cooking time.
“We don’t know how long we can sustain. Hope the situation normalises soon,” said a member of the Nandy family, the owner.
At Dacre’s Lane, many street food stalls have switched to wood-based chullahs as LPG stocks are running low.
“So many people depend on us. We are cutting down on many popular items but wish to keep the shop open,” the owner of one of the eateries said.
(With Inputs from PTI)
