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Himachal Assembly Meals Cooked on Wood Fires Amid Severe LPG Shortage

A severe shortage of commercial LPG in Himachal Pradesh has forced the state's tourism corporation to prepare meals for the ongoing Assembly session using traditional wood-fired ovens. Chefs from the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation are cooking for 500-600 people daily on large wood-burning stoves, locally known as 'bhattis'. While some chefs, hailing from traditional cooking backgrounds, see value in preserving this method, they express concern over the potential environmental impact of increased wood consumption. The situation has led legislators to raise the fuel supply issue in the Assembly, even as the corporation ensures an uninterrupted food supply.

Key Points: LPG Shortage Forces Wood-Fired Cooking for Himachal Assembly

  • Commercial LPG shortage hits Himachal
  • Assembly meals for 600 cooked on wood fires
  • HPTDC chefs adapt to traditional 'bhattis'
  • Chefs balance tradition with environmental concern
  • Fuel crisis raises issues in ongoing Budget Session
2 min read

LPG shortage forces traditional wood-fired cooking for Himachal Assembly session food

Amid a commercial LPG crisis, Himachal Pradesh MLAs' session meals are prepared on traditional wood-fired stoves, reviving rural cooking methods.

"I have not seen such an LPG shortage in my career. - Harvinder Singh"

Shimla, March 20

Amid a shortage of commercial LPG in Himachal Pradesh, meals for MLAs, ministers, officials, and staff during the ongoing Budget Session are being prepared using wood-fired ovens by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation.

Food for the Assembly is being supplied from Hotel Holiday Home in Shimla. On Friday, the sixth day of the session, HPTDC staff prepared meals for around 500-600 people using large utensils placed over traditional wood-fired furnaces. The food is then packed and transported in hot cases to the Assembly complex.

Harvinder Singh, a chef with HPTDC, said the situation is unusual. "I have not seen such an LPG shortage in my career. We are not used to cooking on wood-fired ovens, but we are ensuring that food is prepared on time and delivered hot," he said. He added that this method has been in use for the past four days.

Cooking on wood-fired stoves, locally known as bhattis, is common in rural parts of the state, especially during community events in districts such as Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Bilaspur, and Una.

Another HPTDC chef, Ashwani Kumar, who belongs to a traditional botti (community cooking) family from Hamirpur, said the team is managing large-scale cooking under the circumstances. "We are cooking for 500-600 people ezhednevno for the Assembly. While I am happy to continue this tradition, I am also concerned that if large-scale wood usage continues across the state, it could harm the environment due to tree cutting," he said, adding that dry wood should be used to reduce environmental impact.

Senior chef Dhani Ram, who has over 30 years of experience, said he had not encountered such a shortage before and stressed the need for normal supply to resume. "In more than three decades of service, I have never faced an LPG shortage like this. It is important that the situation normalises soon. At the same time, traditional cooking methods should be preserved, but without harming the environment," he said.

He emphasised that while the current practice is out of necessity, it also highlights the need to balance tradition with environmental conservation.

Despite the challenges, HPTDC continues to ensure an uninterrupted food supply to the Assembly, blending compulsion with tradition as Himachal grapples with the fuel shortage. However, the ministers and legislators continue to raise issues over the shortage of LPG supply amid the crisis.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Chef Ashwani Kumar raises a very valid point. While it's good to see traditional methods being used, large-scale wood burning is not sustainable. Himachal's forests are precious. The government needs to fix the LPG supply chain urgently and also promote cleaner alternatives like biogas in rural areas.
A
Aman W
My grandmother in a Kangra village has been cooking on a wood-fired chulha her whole life. It's ironic that our MLAs are experiencing this as a "crisis" for a few days. Maybe this will give them some perspective on the daily reality of so many Himachalis. Jai Himachal!
S
Sarah B
Visiting Himachal last year, I saw how common this is in villages. The chefs are doing a remarkable job under pressure, feeding 500+ people. Hats off to them. But the environmental concern is real. Hope this shortage is resolved quickly.
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Vikram M
There's a lesson here in resilience and going back to our roots. But let's be clear, this is a failure of logistics and planning. Commercial LPG shortage during the budget session? Someone in the supply department needs to answer for this. The tradition is good, the reason for it is not.
K
Kriti O
The article mentions 'botti' cooking from Hamirpur. At weddings in our region, community cooking like this creates such a wonderful atmosphere and the food has a unique flavour. It's a part of our culture. Maybe this temporary switch will make our ministers appreciate these age-old practices a bit more.

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