Doomdooma: Small-scale food vendors in Tinsukia district of Assam are facing a deepening livelihood crisis as an acute shortage of commercial LPG cylinders force many roadside stalls to shut down, leaving both vendors and workers without income.
Among those affected is Shravan Tanti (50), a tea tribe resident of Doomdooma, who had set up a pakoda stall in 2019 inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push for self-employment through small enterprises. For years, his stall drew steady footfall from students, daily wage earners and local residents. Today, it remains shuttered.
Tanti said the lack of commercial LPG cylinders has made it impossible to continue operations, bringing his business to a halt. The disruption has also impacted those employed at his stall, with two to four workers losing their source of income.
With savings depleted and no immediate alternative, Tanti now spends his days at the closed stall, grappling with financial strain and uncertainty. He expressed hope that timely government intervention could help revive small businesses like his.
Local traders say the problem is widespread, with many small food vendors across both urban and rural Assam reportedly suspending operations due to the unavailability of commercial LPG cylinders.
The shortage is believed to have intensified amid geopolitical tensions in West Asia involving countries such as the United States, Israel and Iran, which have disrupted supply chains and affected fuel availability.
However, both state and Central authorities have largely denied reports of any widespread shortage.
The situation has revived debate around “Pakodanomics”, a term that gained traction following a 2018 television interview in which the Prime Minister highlighted small ventures like snack vending as a form of employment. For many vendors in Assam, the current crisis underscores the vulnerability of such informal livelihoods to supply disruptions.