- Lawyers' canteen in Delhi High Court stops main course due to LPG shortage
- Only items like sandwiches and salads are served until gas supply resumes
- Lawyers express concern over lack of hot meals during long court hours
Lawyers visiting the Delhi High Court canteen may have to skip their usual hot meals for now. Amid an LPG shortage, the canteen has temporarily stopped serving the main course, including dishes like biryani, dal makhani, and shahee paneer, leaving its customers in black robes to make do with lighter options such as sandwiches and salads.
A notice placed on the tables in the lawyers' canteen informed its patrons about the disruption. "This is to respectfully inform you that due to the unavailability of the LPG gas cylinder at present, we regret that we are unable to prepare and serve the main course items in the Lawyers' Canteen," the notice said.
The development comes amid growing concerns over fuel supply disruptions linked to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The canteen's management said it currently has no clarity over when LPG supplies will be restored. Until the situation improves, the canteen will continue serving items that do not require cooking gas.
"Other food items such as sandwiches, salads, fruit chaats, and similar refreshments are available and will continue to be served," it said.
Hunger In Court Corridors
Lawyers today were caught hungry and unaware as they went for lunch around 1 pm at the canteen. News and reactions escalated quickly across the court corridors.
One lawyer was seen asking on a WhatsApp group if a samosa would be available. He was told a clear "no."
Meanwhile, some said they would consider carrying lunch boxes, but those without proper chambers or a place to sit wondered how they would heat the food.
Read: Iran War Pushes Many Eateries Into Retro Mode: Wood, Coal Replacing LPG
A lawyer who did not wish to be named told NDTV that he, along with a senior, managed to get idlis and rice as they reached the canteen around 12:30 pm. But as they were in the middle of the meal, they could feel the shortage. canteen personnel, he said, told them that not all main course items can be prepared now.
"Even if I get lunch from home, I will end up eating cold food as I have nowhere to heat the food," the junior lawyer told NDTV.
'Only Arguments For Lunch'
Advocate Satyam Singh Rajput, a regular practitioner before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, expressed serious concern over the notice regarding LPG shortage at the Lawyers' Canteen.
"It is quite ironic that while justice continues in the courtrooms, advocates who argue matters all day cannot even get a hot meal due to the absence of a gas cylinder. This situation affects many lawyers across Delhi who rely on the canteen during long working hours," he said, hoping that the issue is resolved at the earliest.
Read: Tamil Nadu Restaurants Cut Menu Size, Cite Commercial LPG Shortage
Advocate Akansha Rai, a regular at the high court, joked, "If the LPG shortage continues, the Delhi High Court bar canteen may have only arguments for lunch and no main course." She, however, said that it is indeed a serious matter, and no one knows how long the war in the Middle East will continue. "We will have to make do with whatever we can."
The canteen also apologised for the inconvenience caused to lawyers and visitors.
"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and request your kind understanding and cooperation," the notice said, assuring that full service will resume as soon as gas supplies return to normal.
Centre's LPG Efforts
This development comes in the backdrop of the centre's push to refineries for higher LPG production and using such extra production for domestic use. This move came amid current geopolitical disruptions to fuel supply and constraints on the supply of LPG.
In a social media post, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that the government has prioritised domestic LPG supply to households and introduced a 25-day inter-booking period to avoid hoarding and black marketing.
It said that non-domestic supplies from imported LPG are being prioritised to essential non-domestic sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions.
The government on Tuesday moved to ration natural gas supplies, prioritising households receiving piped gas, vehicles running on compressed natural gas (CNG), and units producing cooking gas (LPG), as the conflict in the Middle East disrupted liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
