Partial restoration of commercial LPG remains a mirage

Nashik : The promised relief for commercial kitchens has turned out to be a ‘mirage', leaving small businessowners caught between a geopolitical crisis and a stalled supply chain.Following the disruption caused by the Iran-US war, the government's assurance of a partial restoration of commercial LPG cylinders remains unfulfilled on the ground, despite headlines suggesting a return to normalcy.For restaurateurs like Ramesh Bhalerao in Satpur, the news of restored supplies for dhabas and hotels brought a brief ray of hope that vanished by sunset."It was nothing more than a mirage," Bhalerao lamented."Without gas, the culinary landscape of the city is shrinking; many eateries have slashed their menus, offering only dishes that require minimal heat or pivoting to wood and coal to avoid ‘wasting' precious fuel."The desperation has sparked a firestorm of accusations. Aakanksha Patil, who runs a food stall on Nashik Road, said that local agencies claimed they had received no stock. "There is ample scope to believe supplies have been siphoned off to big players," Patil claimed, suggesting that while small vendors go "high and dry," others are minting money.Gas distributors, however, tell a different story. Vexed by the "filthy allegations," a Nashik Road distributor insisted their staff is working late into the night just to clear the backlog of domestic cylinders. "Our boys are working hard... yet we face these arguments all day long," he said, noting that not a single domestic cylinder remains undelivered despite the shortfall.District supply officer Ramesh Gaikwad clarified that his office is currently prioritised on subsidized domestic goods. While he lacks data on the arrival of commercial stocks, he said, "Commercial cylinders ‘might' be available by Tuesday, though it depended entirely on the output of regional bottling plants."