Hazaribag: Compared to other food vendors, litti sellers in Hazaribag and elsewhere are doing brisk business amid disruption in commercial LPG supply. Reason? Litti makers traditionally operate using coal or wood-based chulahs on their carts even as other eateries are switching to alternatives to tide through the crisis induced due to the ongoing tensions in West Asia.In areas like Matwari, Korra, Dewanaga Road, Hazaribag Lake, Indrapuri chowk among others, many litti stalls are witnessing rise in customers.
“My customers are intact. In fact, footfalls have risen as other roadside eateries suffered closure. Seeing the increased cost of coal, presently, we are selling two litti with chokha for Rs 20,” said a litti seller.Another litti seller Sanjay added that his business did not suffer even for a single day as he has been operating using coal stove. “Littis and chokha taste good on coal stove rather than gas cylinder. Hence, I never engaged LPG. However, he said that gas disruption has to some extent also led to rise in demand for coal as a result of which, coal sack price has seen upward trend in recent days,” he said.A chowmein seller, Sarswati Devi of Okni Mohalla said that she too is now planning to shift to litti business till the crisis normalises. “Shifting immediately to a coal stove was not possible or convenient so I decided to close my stall at the moment. If the situation lingers, then I will think about a litti-chokha business to tide over the loss of daily earning,” she added.
