‘Can’t afford to cook anymore’: As LPG crisis continues, migrants in Pune take train back home

‘No choice but to return home’

For many labourers like Mistri, the rising cost of necessities has disrupted not just daily life but also long-term migration decisions that once drew them to cities like Pune in search of stable income.

Among them was Rajesh Kumar, 22, standing with his luggage alongside his family, waiting to board a train to Bihar last Saturday. Kumar said he had come to Pune as a migrant worker and was working at a roadside eatery, but had to leave his job as the owner could no longer afford to retain workers due to rising LPG costs. “I lost my job and couldn’t find any new work, so I have no choice but to return home,” he said.

The distress was evident across the Pune Junction, with several migrant families making similar journeys back home as the rising cost of living pushed them out of the city.

Meena Kumari from Jhansi and her husband were leaving for Lucknow last Saturday due to rising LPG costs. “LPG has become too expensive for us. We cannot afford it anymore, so we are going back,” she said.

For Ranjeet Chauhan, 28, the rising cost of LPG meant shutting down his vada pav stall, which had been his primary source of income for nearly four years. Now employed at the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) food outlet in Pune Junction.

Chauhan said he is not alone. “Many workers I know have already gone back to their hometowns,” he said. He added that friends working in industrial areas such as Chakan had warned him against returning. “They told me not to come as there is no steady work, and people are struggling even for food.

Impact on small eateries

The impact is visible not just among workers but also among small business owners who depend on them.

Outside Pune Junction, Manisha Wadekar, 26, who runs a small eatery, Ganesh Restaurant, said rising LPG costs have begun affecting both her operations and workforce.

“I had around eight workers earlier, now only four are left,” she said, adding that the others returned to their hometowns in Uttar Pradesh earlier this month.

Wadekar said she used to pay around Rs 1,800 for a cylinder, but it has gone up to nearly Rs 9,000.

She added that she has cut down her menu significantly and now serves only basic meals. If the situation persists, she said, she may be forced to shut the restaurant.

The strain on small establishments has also raised concerns among industry bodies, even as some signs of recovery are emerging.

Ganesh Shetty, president of the Pune Restaurants and Hoteliers Association (PRAHA), said the situation may ease in the coming days.

“Commercial LPG supply has started stabilising, with establishments receiving limited cylinders based on their scale,” he said, adding that workers who have left may return once conditions improve.

(Aadrita Nandi and Navnoor Kaur are interns with The Indian Express.)