Supply fears: Rate cards at ‘pice’ hotels and roadside eateries feel cost heat

Kolkata: The LPG crisis has forced several roadside eateries and small restaurants to raise food prices, while others warned they might soon be forced to suspend operations if supplies did not improve.From the packed lunchtime lanes of Dacres Lane in the Dalhousie business district to the crowded food stalls around Esplanade and Minto Park, small food establishments said the sudden supply squeeze has put their businesses under severe strain."We are buying commercial LPG cylinders from the black market. What used to cost Rs 2,000 now costs us more than Rs 3,000, and even then the supply is very erratic. As a result, we raised prices of food items by anything between Rs 10 and Rs 20," said Shankar Das, a food stall owner on SN Banerjee Road in Esplanade.Bubai Pandit, a senior employee of Chitta Da's eatery on Dacres Lane, said the combination of rising prices and falling supply left many small establishments worried about their survival. "If the situation continues like this, we may have to shut down operations. We are uncertain about what lies ahead," Pandit said.Other shop owners in the area echoed similar concerns, saying the shortage already pushed commercial cylinders into the black market, where they were sold at significantly higher rates.A fast-food vendor on Dacres Lane said the situation could become even more difficult if supplies continued to tighten. "Very soon, even black-market cylinders may not be available. I don't know how we will manage then. Going back to charcoal-based cooking is not practical for most of us," he said.The crisis was also seen around Sealdah, Esplanade, and food joints at Minto Park, where dozens of small "pice hotels" serve affordable meals.A pice hotel owner near Sealdah said the mounting costs made it increasingly difficult to keep meals affordable. "Vegetables, rice, and other essentials became more expensive over the past few months. Now the gas shortage has added to the burden. As a result, we increased our meal prices by Rs 20," he said.Sunny Poddar, who runs Raja Ka Dhaba eatery near Esplanade, said they too were considering hiking the prices. "Till Wednesday, we are continuing with the old rate. But if the supplies don't improve and we are forced to buy more cylinders from the black market, we too will have to increase the prices from this weekend," said Poddar.Raj Shaw, who operates another food outlet near the Peerless hotel area, however, put up a revised price chart from Wednesday itself. "We have a set group of customers, and hiking the prices may push them away. But we were left with no choice. This is the only way of survival for us," said Shaw.