LPG Price Surge Shuts SAI Canteen At Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium Campus: Report

Last Updated:April 10, 2026, 9:44 PM IST

LPG cost surge shuts SAI headquarters canteen in New Delhi for a month, staff turn to nearby eateries, athlete mess and SAI centres nationwide continue normal services

JLN Stadium, New Delhi [AFP Photo]

Rising LPG costs have forced a key canteen at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) headquarters in New Delhi to shut down, disrupting daily routines for staff at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium campus, even as athlete services remain insulated from the impact.

The canteen, located inside the SAI campus at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, has been out of operation for nearly a month, according to reports. However, athletes training at the venue have not been affected, as their meals continue to be provided at the stadium’s mess, which is functioning as usual and catering exclusively to sportspersons.

According to PTI, the canteen at the Sports Authority of India’s headquarters here halted services after the vendor cited a shortage of LPG supply. The report also indicated that the closure is closely linked to the steep cost of cooking gas, which has made operations difficult for the contractor.

“Initially, the vendor said he would only serve tea due to LPG shortage, but even that has stopped now. Staffers who rely on the canteen are currently managing by having their meals at nearby outlets,” the report quoted a source as saying.

Canteens at SAI’s National Centres of Excellence across India continue to function without disruption, and there has been no report of any cooking gas shortage from those facilities so far. The current vendor at the New Delhi headquarters canteen, the report noted, had taken charge of operations only a few months back before the present crisis unfolded.

“The prices being quoted by this vendor too were quite high and he didn’t really have an explanation for why he was charging so much. So, he does have a grievance about being questioned,” the report quoted another source.

“In big meetings involving the minister and SAI Director General, the canteen serves tea and snacks like Dhokla, some cashews, and a sweet. He was charging Rs 425 per plate for this. The DG (Hari Ranjan Rao) learnt about it, put an end to the whole thing and questioned these prices,” it added.

(With PTI Inputs)

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