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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Commercial LPG 'evaporates' in Maharashtra

Mumbai : The short supply of commercial LPG cylinders turned ‘grim’ on Wednesday as hundreds of small and medium eateries – on whom the ordinary working Mumbaikars depend on for daily meals – shut down or drastically trimmed menus, on Wednesday.   With an estimated 50,000-plus hotels, restaurants and small food joints, the crunch is beginning to be felt severely, said Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) vice-president and Hotel and Restaurant Association Western...

Commercial LPG 'evaporates' in Maharashtra

Mumbai : The short supply of commercial LPG cylinders turned ‘grim’ on Wednesday as hundreds of small and medium eateries – on whom the ordinary working Mumbaikars depend on for daily meals – shut down or drastically trimmed menus, on Wednesday.   With an estimated 50,000-plus hotels, restaurants and small food joints, the crunch is beginning to be felt severely, said Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) vice-president and Hotel and Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI) spokesperson Pradeep Shetty.   “We are in continuous touch with the concerned authorities, but the situation is very gloomy. There is no response from the Centre or the Ministry of Petroleum on when the situation will ease. We fear that more than 50 pc of all eateries in Mumbai will soon down the shutters. The same will apply to the rest of the state and many other parts of India,” Shetty told  ‘ The Perfect Voice’ .   The shortage of commercial LPG has badly affected multiple sectors, including the hospitality and food industries, mass private or commercial kitchens and even the laundry businesses, industry players said.   At their wits' ends, many restaurateurs resorted to the reliable old iron ‘chulhas’ (stoves) fired by either coal or wood - the prices of which have also shot up and result in pollution - besides delaying the cooking.   Anticipating a larger crisis, even domestic LPG consumers besieged retail dealers in Mumbai, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Akola, Nagpur to book their second cylinder, with snaky queues in many cities. The stark reality of the 12-days old Gulf war with the disturbed supplies has hit the people and industries in the food supply chains that feed crores daily.   “The ordinary folks leave home in the morning after breakfast, then they rely on the others in the food chain for their lunch or dinner. Many street retailers have also shut down temporarily,” said Shetty.   Dry Snacks A quick survey of some suburban ‘khau gullies’ today revealed that the available items were mostly cold sandwiches, fruit or vegetable salads, cold desserts or ice-creams, cold beverages and packed snacks. Few offered the regular ‘piping hot’ foods that need elaborate cooking, or charging higher than normal menu rates, and even the app-based food delivery system was impacted.   Many people were seen gloomily munching on colorful packets of dry snacks like chips, chivda, sev, gathiya, samosas, etc. for lunch, the usually cheerful ‘chai ki dukaans’ suddenly disappeared from their corners, though soft drinks and tetrapaks were available.   Delay, Scarcity  Maharashtra LPG Dealers Association President Deepak Singh yesterday conceded to “some delays due to supply shortages” of commercial cylinders, but assured that there is no scarcity of domestic cylinders.   “We are adhering to the Centre’s guidelines for a 25 days booking period between 2 cylinders (domestic). The issue is with commercial cylinders but even those are available though less in numbers,” said Singh, adding that guidelines to prioritise educational institutions, hospitals, and defence, are being followed, but others are also getting their supplies.   Despite the assurances, Shetty said that the current status is extremely serious since the past week and the intermittent disruptions have escalated into a near-total halt in supplies in many regions since Monday.   Adding to the dismal picture is the likelihood of local hoteliers associations in different cities like Pune, Palghar, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and more resorting to tough measures from Thursday, including temporary shutdown of their outlets, which have run out of gas stocks.

Above Glam Quotient

Pranati Shinde

Solapur MP Pranati Shinde proved that she is about some realpolitik when she declared open support to an independent candidate in the Solapur South assembly constituency after the polling began today. While the MVA constituent Shiv Sena (UBT) had fielded Amar Patil from the seat, Shinde lent support to independent candidate Dharmaraj Kadadi causing panic in the ally Shiv Sena (UBT) camp.


Born on December 9, 1980, in Solapur, Maharashtra, Praniti is the daughter of veteran Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde. Praniti has carved out her own political path, distinct from her father’s legacy.


Praniti’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and a law degree from Government Law College, Mumbai.


Her early exposure to politics and social work, coupled with her academic achievements, laid a strong foundation for her political career. She began her political career at the age of 29, when she was elected as a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Solapur City Central constituency in 2009. Her oratory and interpersonal skills while dealing with party workers helped her sail through the Modi wave and she reached Maharashtra assembly in 204 as well as 2019 from the constituency.


Praniti’s political acumen and dedication were further recognized when she was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Solapur Lok Sabha constituency in 2024. This victory marked a significant milestone in her career, as she became the first woman MP from Solapur. Her election campaign was noted for its emphasis on grassroots engagement and addressing local issues, which resonated with the electorate.


The fact that she was an MLA for 15 years demonstrates her consistent popularity and effectiveness as a legislator. During her tenure, she focused on issues such as women’s empowerment, education, and social justice, leveraging her platform to advocate for the underprivileged. In 2021, Praniti was appointed as the Working President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, a role that significantly elevated her profile within the party. She also served as the Chairperson of the Scheduled Castes Welfare Committee of the Maharashtra Legislature, where she worked tirelessly to address the concerns of marginalized communities.


Initially, when she was given responsibility of the youth wing of the party, it wasn’t taken seriously and brushed off as an additional of some glam quotient in the youth wing. However, the way she criticized and took on the opposition, her detractors soon realized that she is not just about glam quotient by is about some realpolitik.

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