Double whammy: LPG crunch, unpaid dues push Pune’s Shiv Bhojan Thali centres to the brink

Prasanna Bhave, who runs a centre in Sadashiv Peth and serves 100 thalis a day, has not received subsidy payments for the past nine months. “Initially, the payments were smooth, but after the Ladki Bahin scheme got implemented, authorities say there are no dedicated funds left,” he said.

His outstanding dues amount to Rs 8 lakh. Unable to procure LPG, he shut his centre for three days and is waiting for a cylinder to resume operations. “Most of my customers are MPSC and UPSC aspirants from rural areas who depend on affordable meals and are increasingly reliant on us as mess facilities and small eateries also shut gradually,” he said.

“The scheme requires only about Rs 220 crore annually to function statewide – but last year, only Rs 70 crore was released, leaving a backlog of Rs 140 crore,” Bhave added.

Sumit Jadhav, who runs the largest centre near Dagdusheth Ganpati temple in Pune, serves 175 thalis a day and has pending dues of Rs 18 lakh over nine months. Unable to get LPG for five days, he has switched to a wood-burning stove.

“Our customers are mostly labourers, the underprivileged and temple devotees. Unlike other eateries, we have not raised our prices. We are now facing a double whammy – no LPG and no government subsidy,” he said.
He drew a comparison to the pandemic. “Similar to COVID-19, when many turned to Shiv Bhojan Thali as other options vanished, people are again coming to us as smaller eateries shut. We have repeatedly met the Chief Minister and other officials, but nothing has been credited so far,” he said.

Amir Hamza, who runs a centre in Budhwar Peth with a capacity of 150 thalis a day, has pending dues of Rs 1.80 lakh per month, adding up to 11 months of non-payment. Amid the LPG crunch, he has shifted to a charcoal stove but says he can sustain operations for only two more days. “After that, I will have no option but to shut,” he said.
The situation is equally precarious at Rakesh Newaskar’s centre near Dandekar Bridge. He said, “Around 60 to 70 per cent of centres spread across several districts have dues pending since January 2025, while Pune centres’ dues date back to June last year.”

He added, “I can run for a maximum of two more days. Also, every time I visit government offices to follow up on payments, I have to shut my centre – an added burden when I am serving 100 thalis daily.”

When contacted, Prashant Khatal, Foodgrain Distribution Officer, Pune, acknowledged the problem but offered no timeline for resolution. “Dues are pending because no government grant has been received so far for the Shiv Bhojan Thali. I cannot commit to when the dues will be paid off,” he said.