Patna: The escalating conflict in West Asia is beginning to impact Bihar’s food economy, with hotels, restaurants and street vendors facing an acute shortage of commercial LPG cylinders.The shortage has triggered a sharp rise in prices. A cup of tea that earlier cost Rs5 is now being sold at Rs10, while samosas have gone up from Rs10 to Rs15.Across Patna, eateries are revising menus and adopting alternative cooking methods such as tandoors, induction stoves and coal-based cooking. Some establishments have switched to coal-fired stoves, raising concerns over food quality and longer preparation time.A manager of a prominent hotel near Gandhi Maidan, requesting anonymity, said that although LPG supply remains constrained, menu prices have not yet been revised. “The govt and district administration are handling the situation and ensuring supply,” he said.Allen Christopher, vice-president of a hotel at Ramghulam Chowk, said the district administration, led by DM Thiyagarajan S M, is extending support to tackle the crisis. “We are cutting down the menu and preparing dishes that require less gas. Earlier, our kitchen ran round the clock; now it operates only till midnight. We are increasingly using tandoor and induction to save LPG,” he said.He added that dishes like mutton, which require more fuel, are currently being avoided. “Earlier, we used to get around 12 cylinders a day; now it has dropped to to four to five. We are preparing food strictly as per demand,” he said.Several restaurants have shifted to coal-based cooking, which is cheaper but slower and more labour-intensive, said Ranveer, a restaurant owner near Patna Junction.Sameer Ranjan, manager of a popular sweets and vegetarian outlet on Boring Road, said establishments with PNG connections are relatively unaffected. “Our pipeline gas supply is stable, so prices remain unchanged,” he said.The crisis has forced many operators to adapt. Some are preparing biryani and snacks on coal and wood-fired stoves, while others are switching to South Indian dishes that consume less gas.“For now, we are serving only South Indian food. We will resume the full menu once the situation improves,” said Ravi Sharma, a restaurant manager in Patliputra.Rajesh Kumar, who runs a snacks outlet in Ashiana Nagar, said commercial cylinders are unavailable. “We are making samosas and sweets on coal stoves. Even coal prices have risen from Rs 13-14 per kg to Rs 15-20 per kg,” he said.Pushpendra Kumar, a restaurant owner in Raja Bazar, said the use of induction and coal has increased service time, affecting customer experience.
