In what could prove to be a body blow to commoners dependent on it for affordable meals, Samridhi@Kochi – the budget eatery run by the Kochi Corporation in association with the district Kudumbashree Mission in Kerala – is considering a price hike in the wake of the increase in the price of commercial gas cylinders.

State-owned oil companies have announced a steep hike of ₹993 for 19-kg commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, effective May 1. For now, Samridhi is operating on a combination of cooking gas and firewood since the supply of commercial cylinders, which was disrupted following the West Asia conflict, has yet to be fully restored.

“A price rise is inevitable following the increase in the price of commercial cooking gas cylinders. We are exploring the possibility of retaining meals at ₹20, to cushion the impact on the common man, while increasing the price of other products such as tea and snacks, which are still priced at ₹10, though their prices have been substantially increased by others” said Samridhi sources.

Indira Canteen

A hike at Samridhi is likely to trigger a similar increase at Indira Canteen, launched by the United Democratic Front governing committee upon assuming power, since food served through Indira Canteen is also cooked at Samridhi’s common kitchen.

Samridhi’s kitchen, which requires 35–40 cylinders a day, is currently receiving only 20–25. This shortfall has forced the eatery to use up to 600 kg of firewood daily. Even the use of around 25 cylinders, priced below ₹2,000 before the latest hike but now soaring past ₹3,000, has raised the daily expense by ₹25,000. Firewood, meanwhile, costs around ₹8–9 per kilogram.

“Firewood is merely a stopgap arrangement to cope with the shortage of commercial cylinders. Once supply is restored, we will inevitably return to cooking gas. Firewood usage raises multiple logistical issues, not to mention the increased time taken for cooking. More importantly, it is extremely exhausting for Kudumbashree members working in the kitchen, as they have to endure intense heat and smoke,” said Kudumbashree sources.