Bengaluru’s paying guest (PG) accommodations are struggling to provide regular meals to residents, many of them students and young professionals, as a shortage of LPG cylinders triggered by the ongoing conflict in Iran disrupts kitchen operations across the city.
PG owners say the shortage over the past few days has forced them to alter menus, reduce the number of dishes served, and experiment with alternatives such as induction stoves and rice cookers to keep food services running.
For thousands of students who depend on PG kitchens for their daily meals, the disruption has meant limited food options and uncertainty about what will be served.
Mahindra Raju, who runs Raj Mahal PG with 13 branches across Bengaluru, said around 1,000 residents rely on the kitchens across his facilities. According to him, the LPG shortage has left his PGs without a steady supply of cylinders for the past three days.
While meal timings have not been reduced, the number of items served has been cut down to conserve cooking gas. “Since we provide meals three times a day and cannot reduce that, we are reducing the number of dishes. Instead of two or three dishes, we may give one or two items,” he said.
Mahindra said the changes have caused frustration among residents and their families. “They are not accepting it. Parents and occupants are constantly calling and do not understand the situation,” he said.
The menu changes have also created difficulties because of varying food preferences among residents. “Some want chapati, some want rice. Many people prefer chapatis and cannot eat rice three times a day,” he said.
PG kitchens operate on a tight supply of LPG cylinders, which are typically purchased daily. Mahindra said his PGs require around eight commercial cylinders a day across all locations. “We cannot stock cylinders for 15 days or a month due to fire safety rules. We purchase them daily,” he said.
The current stock, he added, will last only about a day. “If we run out, we have to stop the kitchen. There is no other option.”
Finding alternatives has also proved difficult. “Induction is not practical. With induction we can cook for five or six people, but we have to cook for 50 or 100 people at a time,” he said.
Attempts to source wood stoves have also failed due to high demand. “I have been scrambling to get wood stoves since morning, but they are out of stock. And they cannot be used inside buildings because of smoke,” he said.
Arun Kumar, president of the PG Owners Welfare Association, said PG owners across the city have begun modifying menus to cope with the shortage.
“Because cylinders were in short supply over the past two days, we have changed the menu and added items that require less gas,” he said.
Foods that consume more gas, such as dosa, puri and chapati, are being replaced with alternatives like bisi bele bath and lemon rice in some PGs. “These options help reduce gas usage,” he said.
However, Arun said PGs can manage the situation only for a limited period if the shortage continues. “Right now we can manage for four to five days. At present PGs can manage for about a week,” he said.
Despite the challenges, PG owners say they are trying to ensure that residents, many of whom are students from outside the city, continue to receive meals. “We will still provide food. We will not stop the mess system,” he said.
Some PG owners have begun exploring alternatives such as induction stoves, pump stoves and electric rice cookers. Arun said PG members have collectively purchased more than 100 rice cookers to deal with the situation.
The scale of LPG consumption varies depending on the size of the PG. According to Arun, a PG with 30 to 40 residents typically uses two commercial cylinders a week, while larger PGs housing 100 to 200 residents require significantly more fuel. He added that more than 60% of PGs house around 45 to 55 residents.
The association has also raised the issue with the government, pointing out that PG accommodation supports a large migrant population in the city.
“More than 10 lakh people depend on PGs, many of whom come from different districts and states,” Arun said, urging authorities to intervene and resolve the cylinder shortage.
PG owners have also discussed how to manage the additional expenses caused by the crisis. Arun said the association has decided that residents should not be burdened with higher costs.
“Even if we spend more on gas or electrical equipment, we will not increase charges for occupants,” he said.