Even as the Delhi government claims that there are no hiccups in the LPG supply, the ground situation tells a different story with restaurant owners paying extra to buy cylinders from the black market, according to spot checks by The Hindu. Also, prices at eateries ranging from tea to dal makhani continue to be up by about 15-20% and are unlikely to come down even if the war ends, said multiple eatery owners.
On April 13, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the cooking distribution system across the city is functioning “smoothly” and “adequate stock is available at all times”. Of the daily allocated 6,480 LPG cylinders (19 kg equivalent) for the commercial category, the average daily offtake over the past week was only 4,268 cylinders, showing that “supply is exceeding demand”, the CMO said in a statement on April 13.
Households, vendors continue to feel the heat amid short supply
But at a tea stall in Bhogal, Mahesh Kumar in his forties, said that he has been struggling to get LPG cylinders. “We are getting 14 kg domestic cylinders for ₹2,000-2,500. The situation has improved slightly now. In the initial days of the war, I had to buy them for ₹3,500 and for three days the shop was closed as I could not buy even at that rate.”
