Bhubaneswar: In what has turned into a battle for survival, hundreds of OMFED parlours and independent tea kiosks across the city have started switching to electric stoves as the ongoing LPG shortage triggered by the West Asia conflict continues to disrupt daily business.Many tea stall owners, who typically consume at least one cylinder every week, say they are left with no choice but to adopt alternatives to stay in the business. With LPG refills now taking more than a month to arrive, several popular outlets that still have access to cylinders have nearly doubled the price of a cup of tea, leaving customers frustrated.“We cannot run our shop without fuel, and LPG is just not available. Electric stoves are slower, but at least we can continue serving tea. Earlier, I used one cylinder every six days. Now it has been 15 days since my last refill request. So switching to electric was the only option left,” said Bulu Mohanty, an OMFED parlour operator at Laxmi Vihar.However, for small roadside tiffin stalls selling items such as samosa, bara and aloo chop, switching to electricity is not practical, they say. Many have instead reverted to charcoal stoves, which they stopped using for years due to convenience, smoke-related issues and impositions by the local civic body.“For frying items, electric stoves are useless. They take too long, and the heat isn’t enough. So we shifted to charcoal. It is harder to manage, after all those years of easy gas-based cooking, but at least we can cook and continue our business now,” said Sabitri Das, who runs a small tiffin stall in Old Town.Customers, meanwhile, are bearing the brunt as prices shoot up at the outlets still using LPG. “I used to buy a cup of tea for Rs 10. Now it is Rs 18 or even Rs 20 at some shops. Everyone is increasing prices and blaming the gas crisis, which is not wrong, but it hurts our pockets,” complained Bhabani Pradhan, a daily commuter.Some vendors acknowledge the price rise but say they have no option left. “Cylinders are coming at a premium through unofficial channels. We are barely managing to keep the shop running. If we don’t increase prices, we can’t survive,” said Prakash Rout, who owns a tea point in Mancheswar Industrial Estate.Customers say the taste of tea made on electric stoves is slightly different, though many appreciate that shops are managing despite the shortage. “I can sense a slight change in the tea’s flavour, but I understand they are doing their best during the crisis,” said Deepa Mohanty, a regular customer at an OMFED tea outlet near Master Canteen Square.
