Kolkata, Mar 12 (PTI) Restaurants across Kolkata are grappling with a severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, forcing several eateries to trim menus, raise prices and even consider temporary closure,
industry representatives said on Thursday.
Several food joints have also shifted to wood-fired ovens to cope with the crisis.
The disruption in supply follows the recent escalation in West Asia that has affected LPG imports into India.
The situation has been compounded by a directive from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas prioritising domestic LPG supply over commercial distribution.
Industry bodies on Thursday warned that the crisis could threaten the survival of many food businesses if the supply situation does not improve soon.
President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India Sudesh Poddar told PTI that restaurants depend heavily on LPG for large-scale cooking, and alternatives such as induction cookers are not practical for many dishes.
“If the shortage continues, normal restaurant operations will become extremely difficult,” he said.
Several well-known eateries in the city have already started altering their kitchen operations.
Director of Chowman, Oudh 1590 and Chapter 2, Debaditya Chaudhury said restaurants may have to tinker with menu options if supplies remain irregular.
In a statement 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 and 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 said, “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.”
At Arsalan and Dada Boudir Biriyani in the city and the outskirts, wood-fired ovens are being used to cope with the shortage.
Sweetmeat makers Girish Chandra Dey and Nakur Chandra Nandy are running the show with depleted LPG stock and are forced to cut down ‘malai’ items, which need higher hours of hitting.
“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, one of the city’s street food hub, the eateries shifted to wood-based chullahs as the LPG stock was dwindling and keeping their fingers crossed.
“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. PTI SUS NN
