The canteen for lawyers at the Delhi High Court has allegedly removed main course dishes from its menu due to the 'unavailability' of LPG cylinders, and they have stated that they do not know when the gas supply will resume.
The canteen announced in a notice dated March 11, 2026, that they are unable to prepare and serve main course items in the Lawyers Canteen due to the current unavailability of the LPG gas cylinder.
This development occurs during the continuing conflict in West Asia, which has disrupted global energy supplies, and follows reports from hotel associations in cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai about a shortage of commercial LPG.
The canteen announced that services will resume once the gas supply is restored, but they are uncertain about the timeline. "Currently, we lack information on when the LPG supply will be reinstated. We will restart preparing the main course as soon as the gas supply is available," the notice reportedly stated.
Due to the uncertainty caused by the conflict in West Asia, the Centre on Tuesday decided to ration natural gas supplies, giving priority to households with piped gas, vehicles using compressed natural gas (CNG), and facilities producing cooking gas (LPG).
According to an order from the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, the current conflict in the Middle East has led to interruptions in liquefied natural gas shipments via the Strait of Hormuz. The new regulations aim to guarantee fair distribution and sustained availability for essential sectors.
On Monday night, the ministry announced the Natural Gas (Supply Regulation) Order, 2026, under the Essential Commodities Act of 1955, granting it supreme authority over all current gas sale contracts and commercial deals.
At the same time, restaurant and hotel proprietors nationwide are facing significant challenges due to a scarcity of commercial gas cylinders, as authorities prioritize domestic gas distribution. The central government and oil companies have assured that gas reserves are adequate, and there is no need for alarm. Additionally, the government has instructed an increase in LPG production by 10 percent.
Restaurants in Mumbai, Maharashtra; Bengaluru, Karnataka; and Gurugram in the NCR are implementing strategies to reduce LPG consumption. These include adopting crisis menus with quicker-cooking dishes and using coal-based tandoors to prevent potential closures.