4 min readPuneMar 25, 2026 01:41 AM ISTDudi told The Indian Express that officials visited SPPU to resolve the issue. He said through SMS, “We are ensuring 100% supply to education institutions. I have just checked it from my office. Their demand is being met by the agency. Necessary supply to legal connections has been ensured.”The nationwide gas crisis has hit the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) as multiple messes on campus partially or fully switched to woodfire stoves or chulhas on March 23 and 24 due to unavailability of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders. This is despite the fact that the state government has asked district-level committees to prioritise university messes for LPG supply. The Pune District Collector said that an official from his office visited the university later in the day to ensure supply of gas.Anil Dhage, owner of G9 boy’s hostel mess, “There is no gas in the market. We are using woodfire chulhas today onwards. We can make vegetables brought from outside and rice, but chapatis cannot be made on that. We are cooking masala bhat, dal, and items like koshimbir. But the students are happy about no chapatis. I have 150-200 students coming everyday in the morning but today only 50 came after I put the menu on the group.”Describing a similar experience, the owner of the girl’s hostel mess Akash Mohite said, “We have switched to chulas as the gas ran out yesterday. We have 300 students eating at the mess everyday. I got 2 cylinders today at 4 pm and I will use them judiciously along with wood chulhas.”Sushil Shinde, a student at SPPU’s Department of English, said “The boys’ hostel mess has started using a wooden stove from today, and the change is clearly visible. Earlier, we were served two sabjis along with roti, chawal, and rice, but now dinner is limited to just one sabji and roti. The quantity has reduced, and the taste has also changed noticeably. It feels like the overall quality of food has declined. While we understand that there is an LPG issue, such a sudden shift in both portion size and taste is disappointing for students who rely entirely on the mess for their daily meals.”Pragnya Bhalerao, a student from the Department of Mathematics shared a similar experience and said, “The girls’ hostel mess has also shifted to a wooden stove since yesterday. For lunch, we are only getting daal and chawal, and for dinner, just one sabji with poori. Earlier, when the gas issue had started, this was a temporary arrangement, but things eventually went back to normal. Now, seeing the same pattern again raises concerns. It reflects a deteriorating situation rather than a temporary adjustment. Students are worried that this might continue for longer, affecting both nutrition and the consistency of food provided in the hostel.”Professor Charushila Gayake, Officiating Registrar at SPPU, had written to the Pune District Collector in the second week of March requesting adequate supply of gas for the university. She told The Indian Express, “There is a shortage of cylinders for commercial purposes. The day before yesterday, they told me they are in a crunch of cylinders. We had started electric stoves but the temperature was not matching the cooking speed. That is why we have switched to woodfire. Even yesterday I called Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi and he said they will do as much as possible. No promise that they will supply on a regular basis.”Dudi told The Indian Express that officials visited SPPU to resolve the issue. He said through SMS, “We are ensuring 100% supply to education institutions. I have just checked it from my office. Their demand is being met by the agency. Necessary supply to legal connections has been ensured.”Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... 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