City’s Signature Chai-Samosa Tapris Running Out Of Steam | Nagpur News

Nagpur: A shortage of LPG cylinders has left tea and samosa vendors across the city struggling to keep their businesses running, with some already shutting shops and others staring at closure. Dharampeth’s popular ‘Joshi Samosa’ has been all but closed since March 13, with many saying this is just a beginning of the end for many others. Big or small, snack corners across the city are on the brink of closure, barely making ends meet.The owner of Joshi samosa told TOI that running the shop had become financially stressful, with concerns mounting over rent and workers’ salaries. “Authorities deny any shortage, but we are struggling to get cylinders,” he said. He pointed out that while some owners are using domestic LPGs to protect their livelihood, samosas cannot be fried in high volumes using alternative fuels without compromising quality. Currently, all they serve is morning tea and Poha cooked with electric induction cookware.At another popular snacks and sweets shop in Dharampeth, production has been scaled down drastically. The shop is now preparing barely 1,500 samosas a day, down from its usual 4000, and has stopped making several sweet varieties to conserve fuel. “We have been trying for the last 15 days to get a regular supply of commercial LPGs. Earlier, we used to get around five to six cylinders per day. Now, we are getting just one,” said owner Arpit Gupta. He also emphasized that there is no viable alternative for large-scale production as traditional sweets absorb the smell of wood or coal smoke, ruining the flavor.The owners of large establishments are worried about the rent and maintenance of their shop as well as the salaries of their workers. The workers also fear a cut in their salaries which will eventually cause their families to suffer.Smaller street stalls are currently operating in survival mode, with remaining gas stocks expected to last only two to five days. “We only have two cylinders left, and they will only last five more days. If the stall gets closed, I won’t be able to support my family,” said one street-side tea stall owner. Unlike the larger shops, many small-scale vendors are preparing to switch to wood or coal out of pure necessity, unable to afford any gap in their daily earnings. Having spent over two weeks unsuccessfully trying to procure gas, many fear the crisis will persist for a long duration.