Hyderabad: Panic buying of LPG cylinders has been reported in parts of Hyderabad amid supply shortages, with commercial cylinders being sold between 3,000 and 3,500 against the official price of ₹2,110.50.
With the supply of refilled cylinders dropping by 83 per cent, the delivery of cooking gas has been delayed for hoteliers, caterers and domestic consumers.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Bangaru Sai Prasad of Tirumala Enterprises in Humayunnagar said the supply had dropped sharply. “Each day, we used to get three truckloads of refilled cylinders, with around a thousand units. But now we are getting one truckload of cylinders every two days — a drop of 83 per cent. The demand for LPG is high in this area because of Ramzan.”
Distributors said the shortage coincided with a revision in LPG prices from Saturday. The domestic 14.2 kg cylinder price was increased from ₹905 to ₹965, while the commercial 19 kg cylinder price rose by ₹114 from ₹1,996.50 to ₹2,110.50. The previous LPG price hike was in April 2025.
Domestic consumers also reported delayed deliveries. A resident of Mothinagar said she had not received an LPG refill even three days after booking.
Telangana LPG Distributors Association president Jagan Mohan Reddy acknowledged complaints of black marketing. “We also got information about black marketing. The news of the shortage made domestic users stock up on additional LPG cylinders as a reserve. After March 17, the demand and supply gap could further increase.”
The shortage has also affected institutional kitchens. At Maulana Azad National Urdu University, a notice issued to hostel residents stated that chapatis would not be served until the gas supply to the boys’ hostels is restored.
The IT Corridor Hostels Association on Tuesday asked hostels in the IT corridor to take coffee, tea, idli, dosa, chapati, roti off the menu. “This will push several north Indians, who mostly eat roti, to inconvenience.”
Eateries and caterers across the city have complained about the price rise denting their profits. “On Tuesday, the 19-kg commercial gas cylinder, priced ₹2,110.50, was being sold between ₹3,000 and ₹3,500. The gas price hike is hitting every hotelier. If we increase the price, sales will fall. We are stuck in a bad situation,” said Ibrahim Khan of Madina Hotels.
Caterers handling wedding and function orders said they were unable to revise prices despite rising input costs. “The LPG consumption is more during parties. But we have to deliver at the same price even at a loss,” said Shadrach of Yesu Catering.
Udupi hotels, which use both LPG and firewood for cooking, said LPG remained essential for several items. “We use steam to keep idli and other curries warm, but for dosa, vada, puri, LPG is a must,” said Sai Ragavendra, who runs a Udupi hotel in the city.
Haleem makers, however, are the only ones to remain unaffected by the LPG shortage as the dish is traditionally prepared using firewood. “There is no increase in firewood price as of Tuesday. A quintal (100 kgs) of firewood costs ₹900.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
