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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.

Dhananjay Munde in soup over Beed Sarpanch’s murder

Updated: Dec 23, 2024

CM Fadnavis announces transfer of Beed SP for showing laxity in the investigation

Dhananjay Munde

Mumbai: NCP Minister Dhananjay Munde has landed in trouble in the murder case of Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog in Beed district. Munde is conspicuous by his absence in the legislature since this case cropped up.

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council, Ambadas Danve has raised this issue in the House and levelled serious allegations, asserting that Walmik Karad, the alleged mastermind behind the brutal murder of a Beed village head, is evading arrest under the government's tacit protection. Danve insists that Karad remains shielded due to his alleged connections with NCP minister Dhananjay Munde.


Speaking in the House, Danve claimed, "Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh was murdered after being kidnapped. All this happened on the directions of Walmik Karad. He is the mastermind in the case. Fingers are being pointed to Walmik Karad, who has been staying at a farmhouse in Nagpur for the last four days. But the situation is such that the police cannot arrest him."


The murder case of Santosh Deshmukh, has been making headlines in the state for the past few days. Political accusations are being made on this, now Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has presented his position in the House. Also, Fadnavis has said that whoever is the mastermind in this murder, action will be taken against him. Fadnavis informed that action will be taken against Valmiki Karad in the extortion case, he will be punished.


The ordeal traces back to the abduction and tragic death of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village, on December 9. Deshmukh had confronted an extortion attempt against an energy company, purportedly orchestrated by Karad and accomplices. Despite the arrest of four individuals, the mastermind and other accused are on the run. As debates heat up during the Maharashtra legislature's winter session, Danve is urging decisive action from the state government, questioning its willingness to confront significant criminal undertakings within its jurisdiction. He emphasizes the necessity for transparency and justice for the people of Beed district.


Munde’s absence talking point

According to sources, the mastermind of this heinous crime is a close associate of Munde. The minister himself admitted having proximity with Karad. Munde, a minister in the newly formed Devendra Fadnavis has virtually gone underground. No NCP leader is ready to talk about Munde.


The opposition cornered the Mahayuti government over the killing of a sarpanch and demanded the arrest of a close aide of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Dhananjay Munde. The opposition also demanded that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis adopt Beed as its guardian minister.


A local NCP leader, Vishnu Chate, has been arrested in the case. Deshmukh was allegedly killed for thwarting an attempt to extort 2 crore from a windmill company. The murder has been politicised as the sarpanch hailed from the Maratha community while Chate, whose NCP is a part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, belongs to the Vanjari community, an OBC community opposing the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category.


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