The 170-year-old Girish Chandra Dey and Nakur Chandra Nandy in north Calcutta has stopped making its renowned malai roll, malai singara, and sarpuria.

Across the Hooghly in Rishra, Felu Modak, over a century old, has scaled down the production of rabri and bonde.

Popular chain Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick has reduced milk procurement by nearly 50%.

The LPG crisis has hit the sweets and confectionery industry hard. Many shop owners said the situation reminded them of the pandemic, when sales had slumped sharply — but unlike then, production is now being disrupted because LPG is unavailable.

Like restaurants, sweets and snacks makers primarily rely on LPG.

“We have been forced to tweak the production of some special varieties. Malai-based sweets are not being prepared because a lot of fuel is required to thicken milk... The production of kora-paak jalbhora sandesh has also been cut down,” said Partha Nandy of Girish Chandra Dey and Nakur Chandra Nandy.

Industry veterans said Bengal’s mishti and confectionery sector provides employment to over 10 lakh people. The industry comprises thousands of small, medium and large enterprises — both organised and unorganised — supplying fresh sweets and savouries to millions daily.

“This seems to be worse than the pandemic. We don’t know how to cope. Soon, only a few varieties that can be produced on induction heaters will be available,” said Sudip Mullick, owner of Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick. Running 18 outlets, Mullick has ordered six industrial induction heaters from Maharashtra at a cost of nearly ₹30 lakh but is uncertain when they will arrive.

Some owners are exploring alternatives to LPG, but others remain unsure how to cope.

Amitava De of Felu Modak said: “The production of some sweets, including kalo jam, goja, bonde and rabri, has been stopped. We are trying to switch to bio-diesel for survival.”

The Centre has instructed oil companies to prioritise commercial LPG for essential services like hospitals and schools.

Mishti Udyog, an association of sweets and savouries entrepreneurs, appealed to chief minister Mamata Banerjee to grant exemptions for the sector.

Dhiman Das, president of Mishti Udyog and owner of KC Das, said in a letter: “Commercial LPG is an essential input in the preparation of sweets, snacks and other food products. Any disruption in supply would immediately affect production, daily business operations and the livelihoods of workers employed in this sector.”

The letter said that the industry also supports allied sectors like dairy, edible oil, sugar, packaging, logistics and retail trade. “A disruption would... have a cascading impact across multiple segments,” it said.