Rourkela: A wedding at a Sector-14 temple in Rourkela on Wednesday turned into a stark reminder of how the fear of LPG crisis is disrupting catering services. A local caterer was forced to drop starters from the menu after the host failed to arrange the required number of LPG cylinders.The caterer, booked to serve dinner for around 700 guests, had asked the organisers to provide six LPG cylinders. Despite frantic efforts, the family could arrange only two, which they handed over to the caterer on Wednesday morning.With just two cylinders available, the caterer informed the bride’s family that it would be impossible to serve the full course. All starter and snack items were dropped, and only a limited number of dishes for the main course were prepared.Rahul Yadav, whose sister’s wedding was solemnised at Dhabaleswar temple in Sector-14 on March 11, said the family struggled to arrange six commercial LPG cylinders. “We had planned an elaborate dinner for the guests, but with just two cylinders, the caterer dropped all starters and snacks. Even puris had to be dropped from the main course. With the limited food that could be prepared, we somehow served our guests and the baraat. We faced a lot of problems due to non-availability of cylinders,” Yadav said.While searching for commercial cylinders, they were asked to pay Rs 5,000 per cylinder. “It was too costly,” Yadav said.“Due to non-availability of the required number of cylinders, we had no option but to remove the starter items. We managed to prepare only a few main-course dishes using the two cylinders,” said Ajit Sahu, the caterer.“If this situation continues, we will stop taking party bookings. Our business has been severely affected. I have another booking on March 14, but I am unsure if we will be able to serve there,” Sahu added.The crisis is not limited to one caterer. Tony Chabbra, owner of another prominent catering firm, said fears of commercial LPG crunch has hit the industry. “There is simply no commercial cylinders available. Without assured supply, how can we take bookings for parties? Our business has already taken a big hit,” Chabbra said.Caterers fear that unless supply normalises soon, the wedding season could see widespread disruptions, with many service providers reluctant to accept new orders.
