A recent survey conducted by Local Circles, a community social media platform focusing on governance and urban daily life, revealed that a majority of urban consumers are bearing the brunt of the LPG crisis by paying extra for their meals from restaurants and street vendors.
The survey received responses from 309 districts of India, with 44 per cent responses from tier one cities, 27 per cent responses from tier two cities and 29 per cent from tier three, four and five cities.
When the participants were asked if they had noticed any hike in prices during their restaurant visits in the past week, 57 per cent of respondents (out of 19,328) replied that they had noticed hikes between 10 to 50 per cent. However, a notable share, 43 per cent, replied that they had not noticed any price hikes.
On the other hand, 54 per cent of respondents (out of 19,322) who visited street vendors replied that they had noticed price hikes up to 25 percent and 33 per cent said they noticed no hikes.
The survey also mentions that some establishments have started charging an extra Rs 15 or more as “LPG revision fee” to recover the increased cost of cooking, while others have completely taken off menu items that require more fuel to prepare.
LPG crisis
The LPG crisis was triggered after US-Israel carried out military strikes on Iran, targeting hundreds of military and strategic sites, including air defence systems, missile launch facilities and bases linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In response, Iran shut off the Strait of Hormuz, blocking oil tankers from passing through the narrow West Asian waterway that handles roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply.
Though India eventually managed to secure passage for some of its tankers through negotiations, the damage had already been done as households scrambled to stock up, with some wanting two or three extra cylinders as a buffer.
While the government prioritised supply to homes, eateries were left hanging and on the brink of closure. Many took to the black market or routed supply meant for households.
In Hyderabad, hotel and shop owners were reportedly forced to shell out between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 per cylinder to keep their business running during the hectic month of Ramzan.
People who had shifted to other means, like firewood stoves, found the method unsustainable due to excessive smoke and the elaborate cleaning involved.
