BMC Canteen To Shut Services In 2 Days Over LPG Shortage, Weddings May Be Deferred In Maharashtra

Mumbai, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Amravati, Ahilyanagar: In view of LPG shortage, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) canteen will be shut services in two days, raising concerns among municipal staff. The canteen manager told ETV Bharat they have sought permission to use electric grill for cooking.

The problem at BMC canteen aggravated due to increasing crowds from surrounding government offices, who have been eating here since canteens have either shut down or their menus have been restricted to snacks.

Danny Biswas, BMC canteen manager said, "The gas stock in the canteen will last only till Thursday. Other government canteens are also being shut due to shortage of LPG cylinders. So, people from other government canteens have been coming to our BMC canteen for meals, due to which the crowds have increased. The problem has been reported to the labour department and we are expecting to get some response. We have also sought permission to use electric grills in the canteen, if gas is not available."

Meanwhile, reports of black-marketing of LPG cylinders has surfaced in many areas. In Thane, residents have urged police to take immediate action against the black-marketing of gas cylinders. LPG cylinder costing Rs 1800 are being sold at Rs 4000 in the black-market, they told police. Several restaurants have called for downing shutters till Sunday as they have only 30 percent of gas stock.

In Amravati, several hoteliers have decided to significantly slash their menus while many restaurants are now preparing only 10 to 15 dishes compared to 70 to 80 dishes that they earlier prepared per day.

The current scenario is also a dampener on the wedding season. Many hotels that took wedding orders and now face shortage of LPG cylinders, fear they may have to cancel their orders.

In Ahilyanagar, police seized 87,000 instruments used for illegal refueling of LPG gas cylinders. Long queues for refilling of cylinders have been reported in the last three days across various cities in Maharashtra.

Gas shortage in Pimpri-Chinchwad has cast a shadow of uncertainty over 10,000 weddings planned in the next two months. Since there are 30 auspicious muhurts in April and May, it is estimated that around 10,000 to 12,000 weddings will be held during this period. About 450 registered caterers and smaller caterers in the city take food orders for the weddings.

Ganesh Jagtap and Pandit Walke, wedding planners said, "Usually weddings are planned in advance and we book venue, plan decoration, music and food. However, if the catering system collapses, there is a fear that the entire wedding planning will be disrupted. Couples and their families are worried whether they will be forced to defer their weddings."

Some caterers have already started charging 10 to 20 percent higher per plate due to gas shortage. This automatically raises the cost of the wedding banquet which will escalate the cost of the entire wedding. Couples and their families are fearing having to spend additional amount for which they were not prepared, throwing their budgets haywire.

Anna Kudale, president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Caterers Association, said, "There are about 450 caterers operating in the city and they employ approximately 45,000 workers. If the gas supply is not restored, caterers may face a major financial loss. There is also a possibility of disruption to the employment of thousands of workers."

Also Read

1. 'No Need For Panic Booking': Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas On LPG Shortage
2. Centre Should Have Ensured Adequate LPG Supply, Oil Reserves To Prevent Crisis: Mamata