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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.

'He said he had political connections'

Alleged blackmailer walks free after bride’s death.

Beed: In a heartbreaking incident from Beed, Maharashtra, a young woman named Sakshi took her own life on what was supposed to be her wedding day, allegedly due to harassment and blackmail. The 20-year-old was found hanging in her uncle's home, leading to a police complaint being filed at the Dharashiv police station. However, the accused was granted bail shortly after his arrest, prompting Sakshi's mother to pen an emotional letter to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, pleading for justice for her daughter.


Sakshi's mother expressed her anguish in the letter, stating, "You have supported many women in the state, but who will give justice to my beloved daughter? Sakshi aspired to be an air hostess, but her dreams were shattered by cruel individuals. She has left this world, but the perpetrators must be punished."


The letter also contained serious allegations against the police, claiming that the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Swapnil Rathod, ignored their pleas and delayed filing the complaint for four days, during which they faced disrespectful treatment. "The chats on the accused's mobile phone have yet to be examined, and we suspect that the accused's sister, who is also involved, is receiving protection due to her connections within the police force," Sakshi's mother wrote.


The family is devastated by Sakshi's death and is demanding strict punishment for the offenders. "If you were the Chief Minister or Home Minister, this thug would be in jail by now. We still believe you can bring justice for our daughter," she implored.

Abhishek Kadam
Abhishek Kadam

While speaking to ‘The Perfect Voice’, Sakshi's mother said, That the accused, Abhishek Kadam, had threatened her daughter, claiming he had powerful political connections that would allow him to evade justice. "If the police take four days to file a complaint in such a serious case, when will ordinary citizens receive justice? The police's negligence has left us helpless," she lamented.


The police response has been under scrutiny, with attempts to contact officials yielding little success. Some officers did not answer calls, while others had their phones switched off. When finally reached, Superintendent Sanjay Jadhav declined to comment, stating that the Deputy Superintendent would handle inquiries, raising concerns about police accountability.


Deepak Kedar, president of the All India Panther Sena, emphasized the need for a thorough investigation by the CID into Sakshi's case, highlighting that the accused had previous charges, including atrocities, yet was granted bail within eight days. He called for immediate action to ensure the safety of female students in educational institutions and warned of a statewide protest if justice is not served promptly.


Shinde reaches out to kin

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday assured the kin of Sakshi Kamble, who had allegedly hanged herself due to harassment by some students of her college, of strict action against the culprits.


Shinde reached out to the family of Kamble over the phone, days after her mother wrote a letter seeking his intervention in the matter and justice for her daughter.


On Tuesday, Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe met the Kamble family at their residence in Beed.


She directed the Beed Police to ensure that the police officer, who had tried to delay the investigation initially, should not be a part of the probe.


Kamble hanged herself at her uncle's house in Dharashiv district on March 14.


According to Gorhe, the deputy chief minister has asked the Dharashiv Police to appeal against the bail granted to the accused in the court and try to get it cancelled.


"Beed Police have extended their complete support to the family (of Sakshi Kamble). I instructed the Dharashiv SP that the police officer who tried to delay the investigation earlier should not be a part of the probe," Gorhe told reporters.

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