Delhi HC lawyers’ canteen halts meals briefly amid LPG shortage

Delhi High Court's lawyers' canteen briefly halted main-course meals due to LPG shortages, reflecting wider supply issues in the hospitality industry.

New Delhi

The brief disruption at the court canteen reflects a wider supply crunch impacting the hospitality industry.

The lawyers’ canteen at the Delhi High Court temporarily halted serving main-course meals on Wednesday morning due to an acute shortage of LPG cylinders, though services resumed later in the day after deliveries of cylinder arrived, officials said.

The disruption came amid broader concerns over cooking gas shortages affecting restaurants, hotels, and eateries across several major Indian cities, triggered by escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Canteen owner Sandeep Sharma issued a notice around 10am to the high court’s secretary and advocates stating that preparation of main-course meals would be suspended due to insufficient cylinders. The notice assured that other items including sandwiches, salads, and fruit chaat would continue to be served.

Sharma told HT that only two to three cylinders were available, which he feared would be inadequate for cooking. His supplier could not be initially contacted as the phone was switched off, but around 10.30am, the supplier returned the call and delivered the required cylinders, allowing normal services to resume.

The brief disruption at the court canteen reflects a wider supply crunch impacting the hospitality industry, largely attributed to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

On Monday, the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas mandated a 25-day minimum gap between domestic LPG cylinder bookings – increased from the previous 21 days – to curb panic buying, hoarding, and black marketing amid supply pressures.