Commercial LPG Crisis Paralyzes Odisha's Food Industry, Leaving Workers in Limbo
For the past two weeks, N Raju Reddy's daily routine in Bhubaneswar has been marked by uncertainty rather than the familiar sounds and smells of his tiffin stall. His small eatery near a bustling street in Laxmisagar remains shuttered as he grapples with the ongoing commercial LPG crisis that is sweeping across Odisha.
Reddy, who relied on daily earnings to support his family of four, explains that the soaring costs and scarcity of commercial LPG cylinders have pushed him to the edge. "I cannot afford a cylinder at Rs 2,500. Switching to firewood was also not an option because this is a rented space and the shop owner will not agree. So, I had to shut the shop," he lamented.
Widespread Impact Beyond Small Vendors
Reddy's plight is not isolated, and the crisis extends far beyond modest tiffin stalls. A multi-cuisine restaurant on Mahatab Road in Cuttack has been closed for five days, resulting in approximately 50 employees—including cooks, helpers, and cleaners—losing their jobs. These workers have returned to their villages in Kendrapara district with only a fraction of their wages, uncertain about when operations might resume.
Manas Puhan, a cook at the restaurant, highlighted the broader implications: "Business has always been high for us, but there is no LPG to run the kitchen even with a curtailed menu now. It is not just business owners who are facing losses but even for workers like us, it is a temporary loss of livelihood." Similar to Reddy's situation, switching to coal or firewood is not feasible due to rental constraints.
Government Response Falls Short
Despite assurances from Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra that hotels and restaurants would receive 40% of the commercial LPG quota, stakeholders argue this measure is insufficient to alleviate the crisis. Biswanath Mukherjee, president of the Odisha LPG Distributors Association, acknowledged the severe shortage of commercial cylinders.
"There is no problem with domestic LPG supply, the real issue lies with commercial cylinders. Under the current arrangement, hotel and restaurant owners will submit an application to the civil supplies officer on their requirement of a commercial LPG cylinder and only after the latter’s approval will they be allotted a part of their requirement. But that is a drop in the ocean," he stated.
Limited Alternatives and Rising Costs
While some larger establishments have managed to adapt by using alternative cooking methods such as diesel burners, commercial inductions, steam-based kitchens, or bulk fuel arrangements, these options remain inaccessible for standalone restaurants, hotels, and smaller vendors operating on thin margins and limited infrastructure.
For those attempting to switch to coal or firewood, the prices of these alternatives have surged in both Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. A 20 kg bag of coal now sells for Rs 150, up from Rs 50-70 just last month, while firewood has become more expensive at Rs 1,800 per quintal, compared to around Rs 1,200 previously.
The commercial LPG crisis in Odisha is not merely a logistical issue but a profound economic and social challenge, threatening the livelihoods of countless workers and the viability of small businesses across the state.
