New Delhi, April 10 The canteen at the Sports Authority of India's headquarters here has been closed after the vendor complained of a shortage of LPG supply, although a well-placed source said the issue is more related to the "high prices he has been charging".
The canteen on the SAI campus inside the sprawling Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium has been closed for almost a month, according to a well-placed source.
"Initially, the vendor said he would only serve tea due to the LPG shortage, but even that has stopped now. Staff members who rely on the canteen are currently managing by eating at nearby outlets," the source said.
However, the closure of the canteen will not affect athletes who train at the stadium, as they eat at the stadium's mess, which remains fully operational.
The SAI canteens at its National Centres of Excellence across the country are also functioning normally, and no shortage of cooking gas has been reported so far.
The vendor reportedly took over the canteen's operation only a few months ago.
"The prices being quoted by this vendor were also quite high, and he didn't really have an explanation for why he was charging so much. So he does have a legitimate grievance about being questioned," said another SAI source.
"In meetings involving the minister and the 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 source added.
"The DG (Hari Ranjan Rao) learned about this, put an end to the whole issue, and questioned these prices," the source added.