Scarcity of LPG cylinders turns the heat on wedding catering season

NT Reporter

Valpoi

The catering sector has begun feeling the heat of a shortage of commercial LPG, especially with the busy wedding and party season due to commence in April.

Caterers said the situation is particularly worrying as the Muslim marriage season will commence after the festival of Eid al-Fitr, when several weddings and social gatherings are usually scheduled.

“After Ramadan Eid, the Muslim marriage season will start and I have many orders in the coming months. But due to the shortage of LPG cylinders, I am worried,” said a prominent caterer from Valpoi, adding that he has multiple orders lined up over the next two months but is unsure how he will manage them due to the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders.

Many clients have been repeatedly calling to confirm whether their functions
will proceed as planned under the current situation,
he said.

The problem is also affecting newly opened eateries. A restaurant owner from Chandwado, Fatorda said his establishment may need to temporarily shut operations soon due to the lack of commercial gas supply.

“We just opened our restaurant. With no supply of commercial LPG cylinders, we can hardly run operations for the next two to three days and may have no option but to close for now,” he said.

Several caterers across the state are now considering altering their menus or revising prices to cope with the shortage.

Industry members said that unless the supply
of commercial LPG cylinders improves soon, the upcoming wedding and party season could be severely affected.