U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday (May 23, 2026) a deal with Iran had been “largely negotiated,” with the proposal including opening the crucial Strait of Hormuz, though the agreement was “subject to finalisation.” “An Agreement has been largely negotiated
A person who approached a White House security checkpoint and began firing at officers has died, according to federal officials. The U.S. Secret Service said in a statement late on Saturday (May 23, 2026) that, according to a preliminary investigation
Pakistani woman says corporate culture makes employees feel guilty for taking leave: ‘Rest needs justification’A Pakistani woman said corporate jobs made employees feel guilty for taking paid leaves they were allowed to use. Published on: May 24
This crunchy veggie rice paper pancake is the perfect quick-fix snack for sudden hunger cravings at home: Full recipeFrom crispy edges to flavour-packed bites, try this veggie rice paper pancake recipe for an ultimate comfort snack for lazy evenings. Updated on: May 24
Amazon techie earning ₹11 lakh/month has 1 house in US, 4 properties in India, Range Rover — but no emergency fundAn Amazon employee earning close to $300,000 feels financially insecure despite significant savings and investments. Published on: May 24
Why the LPG crisis is reviving pandemic fears among migrant workers
Last week, Amazon India reported a surge in sales of ready-to-eat meals on its e-commerce platforms. A spokesperson attributed it to customers “relying on instant meals to navigate the current fuel uncertainty”.
Workers employed at the tech giant’s warehouse in Manesar, Haryana, however, are struggling to pay for meals. Hundreds of migrants from Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar work in the warehouse in the industrial town to the south of Delhi.
With cooking gas cylinders running out, many are unable to cook food in their rented homes and have instead turned to local dhabas. The eateries, facing the same shortage of gas, have raised their prices.
“In the dhabas near the warehouse, rotis that cost Rs 8 earlier are now being sold for Rs 12,” said Pawan Singh Sisodiya, general secretary of Amazon India Workers Union. “If prices keep increasing like this, workers will be forced to go back home.”
Already, there are news reports of an exodus of migrant workers from Gujarat’s textile and ceramics industries. The paucity of gas forced some industrial units, which depend on fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas and liquefied natural gas, to shut down. In other instances, workers decided to leave despite the availability of work because they had to go days without food.
In Delhi and surrounding areas, too, the shortage of LPG cylinders is fast snowballing into a cost-of-living crisis for migrant workers who typically don’t own gas connections and depend on the black market.
Labour supervisor Yash Dixit, who helps small-scale manufacturers in Noida source cheap manpower, said, “Half the workers I know have gone home for this reason. They say that at least they get food to eat when they are at home.”
Even those who have found cooking gas for now are using it sparsely. A 25-year-old worker at the Amazon warehouse in Manesar said he no longer makes rotis and curries every day as he used to before. “Sometimes I eat Maggi [instant noodles] because it is quicker to prepare,” he explained.
Although he had to pay three times the regular price for gas, he was still holding off from planning a return to Uttar Pradesh, his home state. “I have to get by somehow,” he said. “I have given four years to this job so I would rather wait for some more time.”
On March 17, Sisodiya, the union leader, put out a press release urging Amazon to review wages because the gas crisis was “pushing workers toward hunger and severe financial distress”. The company has not acted on the demand so far.
Social scientist Pushpendra Kumar, who has written extensively about the challenges faced by migrants, said the Covid-19 pandemic had clearly shown that migrants in India possessed the least “capacity to cope” with disasters, both manmade and natural.
“Any sincere government would have been thinking about rationing supplies and starting community kitchens at this time,” Kumar said. “But the government can’t be seen.”
The cost of cylinders, which used to be sold at Rs 1,200 till recently, has shot up to Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000 in and around Delhi. “Even those queuing up to buy gas at that price don’t get it sometimes,” Dixit, the labour supervisor in Noida who is himself a migrant from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, complained.
Driven by the shortage in Noida, some workers Dixit knew had taken days off from work to go to their home towns and fetch gas cylinders. Others, he claimed, had resorted to burning firewood on the terrace of his building for preparing their meals.
But that was not an option for those toiling in Amazon’s warehouse in Manesar. Landlords in the area would not allow tenants to light fires, Sisodiya pointed out. Besides, firewood was hard to find in Manesar, he added.
Goutam Majhi, who works in a Mahindra showroom in South Delhi and lives in the working-class neighbourhood of Gautam Nagar, has switched to buying gas by the kilo. Earlier, the worker from West Bengal used to buy a 14.2 kg cylinder for Rs 1,100 from the black market. But now he is having to cough up Rs 300-Rs 400 for every kilo.
Majhi gets his cylinder refilled with a few kilos of gas every week or so, hoping that the price will come down eventually. “I will not be able to save any money this month,” he lamented.
Self-employed migrants running small businesses have also been hit by the crisis. Sahil Ahmad, a political science graduate from Munger University in Bihar, ran out of gas for his pizza cart in Gautam Nagar last week. He had to shut shop for a day as he went about looking for a cylinder.
When he did find a seller, the price of Rs 2,800 deterred him from buying the cylinder. Ultimately, he, too, decided to buy a few kilos of gas for the time being to resume his business. Could he not jack up the selling price of his pizzas to cover the increase in costs? “My customers will not accept that,” Ahmad said.
The 27-year-old blamed gas agencies and middlemen for profiteering from the gas shortage. “They think this is the share market and they are like Harshad Mehta,” he added, referring to the controversial stockbroker who wreaked havoc on Dalal Street in the 1990s. “They are changing gas prices at will.”
Ahmad’s own meals have become costlier as well, given that he eats outside most of the time. The dent in his profits as well as his savings is making the young man contemplate giving up on the business and sit for railway recruitment exams instead.
For social scientist Pushpendra Kumar, the impact of the gas crisis on migrant workers did not come as a surprise. He told Scroll that policymakers are no better prepared to tackle the problem than they were before the pandemic. This, he argued, is because migrants are not a political force to reckon with.
“Migrants have no political voice, especially poorer migrants,” Kumar explained. “There is no pressure on those in power to cater to this constituency or address its problems.”
Migrant workers, for their part, are drawing another parallel to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dixit, the labour supervisor in Noida, recalled how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appeared on television in 2020 to abruptly announce the lockdown. This time, information has been even more scarce with the government maintaining silence for weeks.
On Monday, 24 days into the war, Modi addressed Parliament. He spoke about the measures the government had taken to diversify India’s energy sources. He warned that the impact of the conflict in West Asia would be severe, just like the situation India had faced during the pandemic. “We have faced such challenges with unity during the Covid period and now we have to be prepared again,” he said.
But workers say they are looking for more practical information they can use.
“The government should tell us how long it will take for things to get better,” Dixit said. “The news also does not tell us this. It just shows us the war. This is why we are unable to decide whether we should stay here or go home.”
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: 5 Healthy Meals You Can Cook Once And Eat All Week I Eat Dosas 6 Days A Week 4 Creative Ways To Add Crunch And Nutrition To Your Meals With Pecans Best Healthy Eating Options for Everyday Meals Meals At Just Rs 5 Waking Early To Simple Meals Skipping Meals And Late-Night Eating Kolkata nutritionist shares how even ‘home-cooked meals’ can upset your gut Why You Feel Bloated After Healthy Meals And How To Fix It From Meals To Candy Bars
With big-budget spectacles and larger-than-life action becoming the norm, one upcoming Hindi film is now aiming for something Indian cinema has rarely explored in a full-fledged way… alien horror. Actor Akshay Kumar is set to headline Samuk, a sci-fi thriller centred around extraterrestrial
1 days ago
Kara OTT release: Dhanush's ₹50 crore heist film gets digital release in less than a month; when and where to watchKara OTT release: Vignesh Raja's Tamil film starring Dhanush and Mamitha Baiju was released in theatres on April 30. Know when and where to stream it online. May 24, 2026
1 days ago
The Supreme Court on Saturday registered a suo motu case in connection with the death of a woman in Madhya Pradesh, whose family has alleged that her in-laws harassed her for dowry, reported The Hindu. Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi will hear the case on
1 days ago
Rare lung transplant at Apollo saves a life; spotlight on India's organ donor shortageRare lung transplant at Apollo saves a life; spotlight on India's organ donor shortage Published on: May 24, 2026 10:33 AM IST PTI Share via Copy link New Delhi, A year ago, every breath felt borrowed
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.These countertop organisers, crockery pick and jars can give your kitchen a Pinteresty spin by keeping the clutter awayTurn your kitchen into a photo-ready space with stylish organisers
1 days ago
Indian athletics witnessed a historic evening in Ranchi as Tejaswin Shankar became the first Indian ever to breach the 8000-point barrier in decathlon at the Federation Cup on Saturday. The 27-year-old produced a sensational all-round performance to finish with 8057 points
1 days ago
The Centre released draft rules for the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 for public consultation. The rules focus on governance, grievance redressal, and transitioning from MGNREGA to the new rural employment scheme
1 days ago
The National Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) has warned of a sophisticated phishing campaign impersonating Apple tech support to target whose devices have been lost or stolen, officials said on Saturday.The I4C, which functions under the Union Home Ministry
1 days ago
Sachin Tendulkar praised his son Arjun's IPL debut for Lucknow Super Giants. Arjun Tendulkar showed patience and skill in his first match. He bowled well and took a wicket. Sachin Tendulkar expressed pride in his son's performance and attitude
1 days ago
White House shooting suspect claimed to be ‘real’ Osama bin Laden, threatened Trump online: ReportOsama bin Laden was the founder and leader of the terror group Al-Qaeda, which was reportedly responsible the 9/11 attacks. Updated on: May 24, 2026 11:02 AM IST By Anita Goswami Share via Copy
1 days ago
May 24, Birthday Horoscope: Here's what the tarot cards have in store for youIf your birthday falls on May 24, here’s what your year ahead looks like, as per Tarot. Published on: May 24, 2026 11:00 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link If you were born on May 24
1 days ago
George Russell may have delivered the perfect answer to mounting pressure at Mercedes. After a fiery sprint race clash with championship-leading teammate Kimi Antonelli earlier on Saturday, the Briton bounced back in style to grab pole position for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix — edging the
1 days ago
BJP candidate Debangshu Panda is leading significantly in the Falta assembly constituency repoll. After five rounds of counting, Panda has secured a lead of over 14,000 votes against his CPI(M) rival. The repoll followed allegations of EVM tampering and irregularities during the initial polling
1 days ago
The suspect in a shooting near the White House was killed in an exchange of fire with Secret Service agents on Saturday evening, officials have confirmed. BBC's US media partner CBS has named the suspect as Nasire Best, a 21-year-old man who was known to the Secret Service and had a documented
1 days ago
CPI(M) MP raises concerns over CBSE's digital evaluation, seeks interventionCPI(M) MP raises concerns over CBSE's digital evaluation, seeks intervention Published on: May 23, 2026 5:22 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link New Delhi, The Rajya Sabha leader of the CPI, John Brittas
1 days ago
Imagine enjoying a decadent, fudge‑like treat that also supports your hormones, libido, and menstrual rhythm, all while being packed with collagen, magnesium, adaptogens, and lignan‑rich omega‑3s. These Seed Cycling Hormone Bliss Balls are designed around the simple yet powerful practice of
1 days ago
Weekly Love Horoscope for May 24-30, 2026: The stars brings positive energies for these zodiac signsWeekly Love Horoscope for May 24-30, 2026: This week asks for patience, trust, and emotional resilience. Published on: May 24, 2026 7:30 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link Aries Love feels
1 days ago
From a darkly comic tale of revenge to a beautiful contemplation on friendship, here are the year's most acclaimed works of fiction so far. "Daring, deranged, cleverly written," is how Vogue describes the buzzy debut by Caro Claire Burke. In this satirical thriller
1 days ago
Overnight fires in Delhi: Shops, homes gutted in four blazesA fire department officer was injured after the tin shed of one of the shops he was standing on during the firefighting operation collapsed. Updated on: May 24, 2026 7:37 AM IST By Karn Pratap Singh Share via Copy link Four separate fire
1 days ago
As per the government, the new rules enable families living in Delhi to submit applications if their annual household income is within the newly prescribed limit. New Delhi: The Delhi government has reopened the process of issuing fresh ration cards under changed eligibility criteria after a gap of
1 days ago
The reported disruption of AI-animated film Critterz after OpenAI allegedly shut down Sora has sparked a larger conversation around one major issue in tech and entertainment: what happens when creators build entire projects on platforms they do not control?The reported disruption of AI-animated
1 days ago
Ex-Meta employee says non-Chinese workers were targeted for layoffsA laid-off Meta engineer has alleged that he was routinely excluded and ostracised by his Chinese colleagues at the company. Updated on: May 24, 2026 7:01 AM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link A laid-off Meta engineer has alleged
1 days ago
Mackenzie Shirilla wanted Kim Kardashian's help; here's why it's not happeningMackenzie Shirilla sought Kim Kardashian's legal support following the release of The Crash documentary, but Kardashian reportedly has no plans to get involved. May 24, 2026
1 days ago
X warns founder against reuploading White House shooting video: 'Revenue reduced by 90%'Nikita Bier of X warned a user against reuploading the White House shooting video, asking him to ‘Quote’ or ‘Video Reshare’ instead. Updated on: May 24, 2026 6:14 AM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link
1 days ago
Sonam Wangchuk says Article 371 talks for Ladakh still ‘work in progress’; backs Cockroach Janta PartySonam Wangchuk hoped constitutional safeguards will be granted to Ladakh after recent talks between Ladakh groups and the Centre. Updated on: May 24
1 days ago
Talking about international partnerships, PM Modi said India’s growing ties with global companies and countries would create new opportunities for young people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly recruited candidates during the 19th Rozgar Mela
1 days ago
Dipika Kakar’s father-in-law in ICU after suffering stroke, Shoaib Ibrahim seeks prayers: ‘24 hrs are crucial’Shoaib Ibrahim took to Instagram to inform fans that his father has been hospitalised once again after suffering another stroke. May 24, 2026
1 days ago
