Eateries Increase Food Items’ Prices

Hyderabad: Several food outlets in the city have increased prices following the ongoing shortage of commercial LPG cylinders.

At several tea stalls, the price of a cup of tea increased by Rs 5, with rates rising from Rs 20 to Rs 25 and from Rs 25 to Rs 30. Vendors said the increase was forced by higher LPG prices and the scarcity of commercial cylinders in the market.

The shortage follows the US-Iran war in West Asia that began on February 28, which has led to disruptions, including the cancellation of some flights and a rise in LPG prices, triggering supply concerns in the commercial segment.

Push-cart tiffin centres across parts of the city have also increased the price of several items by Rs 5 to Rs 10. In areas such as Narayanaguda, Himayatnagar and Secunderabad, the price of a plate of idli, Mysore bajji, vada or puri has increased to about Rs 50 from Rs 40.

Lakshman, a push-cart tiffin vendor, said, “We use one cylinder of LPG for two or three days. When cooking gas got so costly, how can we bear the loss?”

Some small food outlets have started adopting alternative cooking methods to avoid increasing prices further. At King Koti, Mohammed Shadab of Kitchen 11 said his outlet had begun using firewood for cooking due to the LPG shortage.

“Because of the sudden rise in the LPG prices, we are forced to use firewood. Our food court, which serves veg and non-veg, attracts more people due to its reasonable prices. If we increase the prices, customers will not come.”