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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.

Delhi HC orders CBI probe into Tihar jail 'extortion racket'

  • PTI
  • May 2, 2025
  • 2 min read


New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday ordered the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry over allegations of an extortion racket being run inside Tihar Jail involving its officials.


A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed the principal secretary, Home Department, Delhi government to hold a fact-finding inquiry and find out the officials responsible for the administrative and supervisory lapses in Tihar.


"The petition highlights certain irregularities, illegalities, malpractices and misconduct not only on part of the jail authorities but also inmates, The allegations are as serious as that in connivance with jail authorities extortion racket was going on in jail premises for procuring certain facilities," the court observed.


The bench said a report of the inspecting judge, Central Jail 8 and Semi Open Prison, tendered to it in a sealed cover after a "thorough" inquiry, revealed "very disturbing facts" indicating criminal activities and irregularities in functioning of Tihar Jail.


"For thoroughly conducting an inquiry into the matter, since the report (of inspecting judge) contained allegations of criminal activities,we deem it appropriate to require the CBI to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the matter," the court ordered.


The bench went on, "We also deem it appropriate to direct principal secretary, Home, GNCTD to conduct an administrative inquiry to find out the officials/officers/authorities responsible for such administrative lapses and mishappenings in jail."


The director general (DG) Delhi prisons should extend all cooperation to the principal secretary, it added.


The court asked the CBI and the principal secretary to submit their reports before the next hearing on August 11.


The court was hearing a petition filed by a former inmate alleging extortion and pointing out safety and security of prisoners inside Tihar.


The court said the inspecting judge's report was based on several material, including certain call data record with respect to calls between persons outside and inside the jail aside from the misuse of jail's official landline for "promoting nefarious activities",


The report even doubted the conduct of the petitioner, the court said.


The CBI's preliminary enquiry would primarily proceed on the basis of the inspecting judge's report and the petitioner as well as the jail authorities could submit their evidence to the agency, it added.


Once the documents and material were received by CBI from the court, the petitioner and jail authorities, the agency was ordered to start its inquiry and prepare a report.


"The principal secretary, Home, GNCTD is also directed to conduct the administrative/fact-finding inquiry on the basis of the report. In the said inquiry, the DG Prisons shall extend all cooperation to him. The inquiry shall reflect on the various administrative lapses/supervisory lapses and shall clearly indicate officials in jail responsible for such lapses," it added.

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