Dehradun, Getting two meals a day for students residing in Karanpur, an education hub in the state capital, has not only become difficult but also expensive due to the commercial LPG supply crunch.
Once bustling with the activities of students preparing for competitive examinations, the streets in the locality have fallen silent these days.
Students, who come here from the remote districts for coaching classes, usually rely on nearby affordable ‘dhabas’ and tiffin services for their food. However, these eateries have increased the price of a tiffin box following the alleged rise in LPG prices.
Roshan Lal, a native of Tehri, started a small restaurant and tiffin service here about nine months ago. According to him, the business went well initially, but now the situation has taken a turn for the worse.
“We are facing shortage of gas cylinders. Most of my staff have returned home. I have to pay ₹20,000 rent, besides electricity and water bills. Under these circumstances, it has become extremely difficult to keep the business running,” Lal said.
He said following the “rise” in gas prices, he was compelled to increase the price of a tiffin meal from ₹50 to ₹70.
“Many students have returned home solely because they could no longer access regular, affordable meals,” he added.
Makhan Singh, who works at the restaurant, said they were forced to increase the food prices.
“We are fully aware that this creates difficulties for the students, but with the cost of gas skyrocketing, what other choice do we have?” Singh said.
Prashant Maheshwari, who runs a sweet shop in Karanpur, said, “We aren’t getting gas, and our operations have been severely disrupted. We are currently using diesel stoves, but this is not a permanent solution.”
The situation is equally challenging for Preetinder, who runs a fast-food joint.
“We used to consume about 10 gas cylinders a month. As procuring gas has now become difficult, we have shifted to induction cooktops and tandoors. However, this has slowed down our workflow, and sales have plummeted by 50–60 per cent,” he said.
Some eateries have now reverted to traditional methods.
Amrit Singh, a restaurant owner, now brings in firewood in his vehicle.
“Students come here every day for their meals, and we have to meet their demands. That is why we have built a tandoor and are now cooking food using firewood,” Singh said.
After the conflict in West Asia began, LPG supplies were prioritised for households, and those for commercial establishments, such as hotels and restaurants, were cut to nil. Later, commercial supplies were restored to 20 per cent of the requirement and then to 50 per cent while encouraging the users to switch to piped natural gas, whose supply has no such issues.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
