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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.

Pappu Yadav Calls for Ban on Bajrang Dal and VHP, Labels Them as ‘Hooligans’

Updated: Mar 20, 2025

Lok Sabha MP criticizes the groups for alleged violence in Nagpur, claims they are harming the country’s progress under government protection


Pappu Yadav

Nagpur: Lok Sabha MP Pappu Yadav has demanded a ban on Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), accusing their members of instigating violence in Nagpur. He described them as "hooligans" and claimed that their actions are disrupting the nation's social harmony and economic growth.

"Bajrang Dal and VHP members are hooligans and should be banned. They have government protection, and their activities are negatively impacting the country’s economy and development. This issue needs serious attention," Yadav stated.


Addressing JD(U) leader Sanjeev Kumar's suggestion for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to adopt the 'Yogi model' of governance, Yadav dismissed the idea.


"There is no such thing as a 'Yogi model.' A criminal remains a criminal, regardless of caste or religion. Bihar has always led the way, not followed others," he asserted.


Meanwhile, Nagpur remains under curfew for the second consecutive day across ten police station limits after violent clashes erupted on March 17.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with the Arms Act, Maharashtra Police Act, and Prevention of Public Property Damage Act at Ganeshpeth Police Station.


According to the FIR filed by Inspector Jitendra Baburao Gadge, 51 individuals, including several minors from areas like Jafar Nagar, Tajbagh, Mominpura, and Bhalaadapura, have been named as accused.


"The protest escalated when the crowd began pelting stones and hurling petrol bombs at police officers. Armed with axes and iron rods, they ignored repeated warnings to disperse and continued violent attacks, endangering both police personnel and civilians," the FIR states.


Maharashtra Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam, has strongly condemned the violence, emphasizing that stern action will be taken against those who assaulted senior police officials.


To maintain law and order, authorities have restricted movement in affected areas, warning that violations of the curfew will be punishable under Section 223 of the BNS.

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