Delhi High Court Lawyers' Canteen Halts Hot Meals Amid LPG Shortage Crisis

According to a notice issued by Sandeep Sharma of the Lawyers' Canteen, the kitchen is currently unable to cook main course items because of the shortage of LPG gas supply. The notice was addressed to the Hon'ble Secretary of the court and all advocates.

The notice stated that the canteen management does not have any information at present about when the LPG supply will be restored. It further mentioned that the preparation of main course food items will resume once the gas supply becomes available again.

However, the canteen clarified that other food items that do not require cooking on LPG will continue to be served. These include sandwiches, salads, fruit chaat and similar refreshments.

The management also expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to advocates and visitors and sought their understanding and cooperation until normal services resume.Amid the West Asia conflict, the Centre had announced a price hike of Rs 60 for cooking LPG cylinders on March7. Following the hike, the non-subsidised prices of LPG cylinders stand at Rs 913 in Delhi, Rs 939 in Kolkata, Rs 912 in Mumbai, and Rs 928 in Chennai. The difference in prices across state comes from the applicable taxes levied by state government.

Amid fears of a disruption over the shortage of LPG gas, the consumers in Uttar Pradesh also lined up outside gas agencies from early morning, looking to get a fresh stock of cylinders for their home cooking needs.

One buyer, Ajay Nishad, stated that this stressful situation has persisted for the past ten days. He noted that approximately 400 to 500 people have lined up outside the gas agencies.

Amid the supply disruption, the Central government has mandated a new 25-day inter-booking period for domestic LPG refills.The shortage of LPG has emerged amid global energy supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. In response, the Union government has invoked the Essential Commodities Act to prioritise domestic LPG supply, reserving higher allocations for households, hospitals, and essential services while restricting commercial distribution in several regions.The Union Petroleum Ministry has stated that the invocation of the Act has established a clear priority list for natural gas distribution to manage current supply constraints. Under this new mandate, there is a 100 per cent assured supply of domestic piped gas for homes and CNG for vehicles. Other sectors will face calibrated supply caps based on their previous six-month average consumption. These measures come as India, which typically sources 30 per cent of its natural gas via the Strait of Hormuz, navigates the logistical challenges posed by the regional conflict.

- ANI