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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.

Can the RCB Juggle the Cup Without Dropping It?

IPL 2026 – where defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) strut into the arena like prom kings fresh off a fairy-tale win, only to realise the crown’s made of kryptonite. After shattering an 18-year curse with that nail-biting 2025 triumph – Virat Kohli’s beard practically glowing under the Ahmedabad lights – the big question isn’t “Will they?” but “Can they without imploding like a bad sequel?” Picture this: The squad that finally cracked the code now faces the auction guillotine, with a purse slimmer than Kohli’s patience on a bad day (Rs 16.4 crore for eight slots, anyone?). It’s like winning the lottery, then blowing half on therapy for the near misses. But hey, optimism is RCB’s middle name – right after “Chokers Anonymous”.


Let’s dissect this circus act. Retaining 17 players, including six overseas firecrackers, RCB’s basically yelling, “If it ain’t broke, duct-tape it harder!” Captain Rajat Patidar stays at the helm, the quiet assassin who turned collapses into confetti last year. Kohli, the Run God, anchors like a barnacle on a battleship – 741 runs in 2025, because apparently, retirement’s for quitters. Openers Phil Salt (the cheeky Englishman smacking sixes like afternoon tea) and Devdutt Padikkal provide fireworks, while Tim David and Romario Shepherd turn the death overs into a demolition derby. Bowling? Josh Hazlewood’s laser-guided yorkers make batsmen weep, Bhuvneshwar Kumar swings it sneakier than a politician’s promise, and Yash Dayal’s left-arm zip adds that “oops, you’re out” spice. Krunal Pandya’s all-round wizardry and Jitesh Sharma’s glovework round out a core deeper than a fan’s denial phase.


But releases? Oof. Booting Liam Livingstone (112 runs at 16 avg – more flop than pop) and Lungi Ngidi feels like firing the clown after one bad balloon animal. Mayank Agarwal and Manoj Bhandage hit the eject button too, leaving the middle order whispering and the spin bench warmer than a forgotten samosa. With the December 16 Abu Dhabi auction looming, RCB’s got eight slots and a wallet that says “bargain bin only”. Can they snag a mystery spinner or a finisher without breaking the bank? Or will they end up with more “projects” than pros, turning M. Chinnaswamy into a batting parlour?


To SWOT this soap opera – because nothing says “fun” like corporate buzzwords in cricket drag:


Strengths (The Superhero Cape): Bulletproof batting backbone with Kohli’s obsession and Salt’s swagger – they chased 200+ like it was a grocery run. The Hazlewood-Bhuvi-Dayal trio is a swing symphony that choked PBKS in the ’25 final. Depth in all-rounders (Krunal, Shepherd) means no panic buttons. Winning vibes? Intangible, but hey, trophies cure imposter syndrome.


Weaknesses (The Kryptonite Crutch): Purse poverty – Rs 16.4 crore for eight bodies? That’s espresso money in IPL terms, not an espresso machine. Livingstone’s exit leaves a power-hitting vacuum wider than AB de Villiers’ smile. Spin department’s Swapnil Singh and Suyash Sharma – solid, but not “unplayable on a turning track” solid. Injuries to Hazlewood (he’s human, shockingly) could turn defences into doormats.


Opportunities (The Plot Twist Potential): Auction’s a treasure hunt! Snag a budget overseas spinner like Noor Ahmad redux or a domestic dasher to plug the finisher hole. Trades already shuffled the deck – why not poach a rival’s castoff? The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a scouting goldmine for uncapped gems. Defending champs get that “underdog glow-up” – fans are louder, and pressure is sweeter.


Threats (The Villain Monologue): Bigger-purse bullies like KKR (Rs 64.3 crore war chest – they’re basically shopping for a squad, not slots) could hoover up stars like Mitchell Starc 2.0. CSK’s rebuild rage, MI’s money machine, SRH’s sluggers – everyone’s gunning for the throne. Chinnaswamy’s rocket favours batsmen; one bad dew night, and poof – fairy tale over. Plus, Kohli’s beard: iconic, but does it intimidate bowlers or just distract them?


So, can RCB defend? In a league where the Mumbai Indians have three rings and CSK’s got Dhoni’s black magic, it’s 50-50 – half genius, half gamble. If they auction smart (no impulse buys on hype trains), harness that ’25 mojo, and avoid the “sequel slump”, Bengaluru could two-peat like a boss. Otherwise? Back to memes and “next year” chants. Either way, grab popcorn: This red circus is about to clown or crown. Thala for a reason? Nah, Ee Sala Cup Namde – again?


(The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

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