A commercial LPG price hike has raised the cost of a 19-kg cylinder in Odisha by Rs 62.50, putting fresh pressure on restaurants, roadside eateries, tea stalls and small catering businesses that rely on the fuel for daily operations.
The retail price of the 19-kg commercial cylinder has increased to Rs 2,810 from Thursday, according to a report by The Times of India. The latest revision follows a Rs 9.50 increase in September, when the cylinder was priced at Rs 2,747.50.
Small food businesses said repeated increases are difficult to absorb because fuel is already one of their largest operating expenses after raw materials. Larger establishments may have some capacity to manage the additional cost, but smaller operators said their profit margins remain under pressure from higher prices of vegetables, edible oils and labour.
Jatin Agrawal, a fast-food chain owner in Bhubaneswar, said LPG prices had fluctuated frequently but that repeated increases within a short period were difficult to manage. He said fuel was one of the biggest expenses for his business after raw materials and warned that continued cost increases could force operators to raise menu prices again.
Street-food vendors and tea-stall operators in Odisha also expressed concern that passing the full increase on to customers could reduce demand. Jagannath Nayak, a snack vendor in Cuttack, said customers were sensitive even to Rs 2 or Rs 5 increases in food prices and that the LPG increase would directly affect vendors’ earnings.
The impact is likely to extend across hotels, bakeries, canteens and catering services, which use commercial cylinders extensively. Binay Bhusan Pattnaik, president of the Catering Association of Odisha, said the increase would raise input costs for thousands of small and medium food businesses across the state. He added that many establishments were still recovering from higher costs of vegetables, edible oils and labour.
The latest increase also comes after food businesses reported commercial gas supply difficulties earlier this year amid geopolitical tensions. Some operators had reduced their operations during that period, according to the report. The new price revision may add to the operating pressure faced by businesses preparing for the upcoming festive and wedding season.
Domestic LPG consumers face a separate change from October 1. Consumers seeking to book refills at the regulated retail selling price and receive applicable subsidies will be required to complete biometric Aadhaar authentication. The measure is intended to support targeted subsidy delivery and prevent duplication.
The commercial cylinder price increase and the household authentication requirement affect different consumer categories. The commercial revision applies directly to businesses using 19-kg cylinders, while the Aadhaar process concerns domestic LPG consumers seeking regulated prices and subsidies.
