top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

MGL imposes 20 pc gas cut on bakeries

Soon, Mumbai to starve of vada-pav, pav-bhaji Mumbai: The city of dreams fueled by vada-pav and pav-bhaji could soon face a nightmarish food crunch. Amid the ongoing commercial LPG crisis, Mumbai’s piped natural gas (PNG) supplier Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) has imposed a 20pc cut in gas offtake by bakeries, forcing scale down of production of laadi-pav, breads and other bakery staples that feed millions daily, plus an ominous price hike soon. The MGL directive follows a central order (March...

MGL imposes 20 pc gas cut on bakeries

Soon, Mumbai to starve of vada-pav, pav-bhaji Mumbai: The city of dreams fueled by vada-pav and pav-bhaji could soon face a nightmarish food crunch. Amid the ongoing commercial LPG crisis, Mumbai’s piped natural gas (PNG) supplier Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) has imposed a 20pc cut in gas offtake by bakeries, forcing scale down of production of laadi-pav, breads and other bakery staples that feed millions daily, plus an ominous price hike soon. The MGL directive follows a central order (March 9), calling upon all bakeries to restrict their gas consumption to only 80 pc of their average usage over the past six months. The new rule came into effect from March 12, immediately sending alarm bells ringing across Mumbai’s panicky bakery network. In a missive to bakery owners, MGL also indicated that PNG prices would be revised shortly due to “gas pooling” arrangements, with the final rates to be announced after consultations with suppliers and the government. It further warned that any bakery exceeding the new consumption cap could face penal tariffs or even abrupt disconnection of gas supply. For hundreds of bakeries already grappling with a crippling shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, the move served to fuel the prevailing uncertainty. “This could virtually paralyse Mumbai’s food chain, hitting the common masses worst,” warned Khodadad Irani, President of the Indian Bakers Association (IBA). “There are nearly 300 registered bakeries in South Mumbai alone and around 1,000 across the city. Together they produce almost half the city’s daily requirement of around 70 lakh laadi-pavs. More than half of these bakeries depend on LPG to fire their ovens. With LGP supplies disrupted and now PNG curtailed, many may be forced to shut down within days,” a glum Irani told ‘The Perfect Voice.’ He explained the staggering implications of the potential disruption round the corner - on average, each bakery churns out around 1,500 trays (laadis) of pav every day, employs 30-50 workers per unit, and outside the flaming ovens, an entire informal economy thrives on the humble pav. Two Lakh Workers Nearly two lakh delivery workers ferry fresh bread across the city each morning on bicycles and motorcycles, supplying to all from roadside stalls to high-end eateries and corporates. Besides, over six lakh vendors run small stalls selling the city’s beloved yummies - vada-pav, samosa-pav, bhajiya-pav, usal-misal-pav, pav-bhaji, dabelis. “Under such a scenario, if bakeries pause or shut down, there will be huge consequences. Not only will common people suffer, but close to a million livelihoods linked to this ecosystem could be hit,” Irani pointed out. He reminded the authorities how bakeries remained operational during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring a steady supply of bread and pav when Mumbai reeled under lockdown. “We kept our ovens running then despite enormous risks, to ensure Mumbai would not go hungry. But now we are facing a dire fuel shortage, and until commercial LPG quotas are normalized, we simply cannot continue operations,” Irani said grimly. With desperation creeping in both among the bakers and their customers, some bakeries have begun buying LPG cylinders on the black market at three to four times the official price, and others are allegedly diverting domestic cylinders to power their industrial ovens. Ironically, the sector had only recently initiated a painful transition to cleaner fuels - following court-mandated environmental directives in 2025 - by scrapping their traditional coal or wood-fired ovens to invest in PNG-LPG-based systems, or electric powered ovens. “Most of us complied with the shift to eco-friendly fuels. But now those very fuels are scarce. If the situation is not resolved quickly, Mumbai could soon wake up to a shocking reality - a city without pav,” Irani predicted. Neighbourhood bakers fret Local bakers say the crisis threatens not only the supply of laadi-pav but a wide range of popular bakery products that have a ready market. They include: sweet bun-pav, tutti-frutti pav, kharis, rusks, crunchy bruns, toasts, puffs, pastries, brownies, cupcakes, nankhatais, cookies, mini-pizzas, unbranded biscuits, et al. “Mumbai is a crowded city. It cannot survive without bakeries running 24x7. Many people eat only one proper meal at home and rely on street foods and snacks outside. Everything depends on steady fuel supply. If bakeries stop, the entire food chain - from corporate canteens to school kitchens and mass caterers - will be doomed,” fumed a contract baker Mohsin Alvi.

CM’s Troubleshooter

Updated: Nov 15, 2024

He came to be known as the saviour of the Eknath Shinde government in the state over past couple of years. He remained a prominent negotiator when it came to negotiations with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil. He was also there at Davos to sign several MOUs that the government flaunted later. It can be seen that he is building his power. He is Uday Samant.


Born in a traditionally landlord family hailing from Sindhudurg district, money was never an issue for Uday Samant. His father Ravindra Samant had channelled the inherited family wealth in the contract business and the family had already came to be known as the prominent contractors by the time Uday completed his diploma in engineering. After a brief stint in Shiv Sena, Samant came into contact with NCP’s Gurunath Kulkarni which led to his meteoric rise on the political arena. Kulkarni groomed Samant and ensured that the party trusted the young leader. Samant reciprocated with sparkling results.


In 2004 NCP fielded Uday Samant in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election from Ratnagiri constituency. His victory marked the beginning of a series of successful elections. He was re-elected in 2009, 2014, and 2019. For a brief period towards the end of UPA regimen in 2014 he served as the Minister of State for Urban Development. After switching over to the Shiv Sena in 2014, he concentrated on building his network within the party organization in his home district. One of the notable milestones in Samant’s career was his appointment as the Minister of Higher and Technical Education in 2019. That gave him the much needed opportunity to grow across the state.


During the rebellion, he was the last person to switch side to join Eknath Shinde. After a meeting with the then Chief Minister Uddahv Thackeray he went ‘not reachable’ and emerged in the Shinde camp at Guwahati putting an end to speculations that the rebellion might fizzle out. He got the reward and in 2022 Uday Samant was appointed as the Cabinet Minister for the Ministry of Industries in the Eknath Shinde-led government. While junking all the allegations levelled by the MVA allies he demonstrated how the government promoted industrial growth and development in the state.


Samant is known for his dynamic leadership, strategic vision, and unwavering dedication to public service. He also emerged as the biggest trouble shooter for CM Eknath Shinde over past two and half years. From demonstrating industrial growth in the state to countering the opposition’s claims and pacifying agitators opposing the mega projects and holding fruitful negotiations with agitators and building party network in the Konkan region Samant proved his mettle. His role after the current assembly elections would be worth watching as to how he uses his qualities and abilities.

Comments

bottom of page