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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.

Parliamentary Disgrace

Updated: Dec 23, 2024

Leadership, especially in opposition, demands dignity, poise and a certain gravitas. These qualities elevate the office and serve as a counterweight to the government’s excesses. Yet Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India’s most storied political family and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, seems woefully ill-equipped to embody such virtues. The events that unfolded in Parliament, a scuffle more befitting a street brawl than the hallowed halls of democracy, have starkly illustrated this failing.


Sonia Gandhi, Rahul’s own mother, conducted herself with a dignity that won grudging respect even from her most ardent critics. Leaders like Sushilkumar Shinde and Sharad Pawar understood the art of balancing firm opposition with parliamentary decorum. Rahul Gandhi, by contrast, has turned the Leader of Opposition’s chair into a soapbox for puerile theatrics and unfocused belligerence.


The shameful scuffle in the Lok Sabha has added yet another blot to India’s parliamentary democracy. Instead of engaging in disruptive theatrics, Gandhi would do well by focusing on rigorous research and delivering incisive speeches that challenge the government on substantive issues.


It is not just the Congress that suffers from Gandhi’s missteps; his conduct erodes the Opposition’s ability to hold the government accountable. His actions provide fodder for the ruling BJP, which has accused him of incitement and hooliganism.


Rahul Gandhi must realize that the role of Leader of Opposition is not a birthright but a responsibility. His street-level antics may energize a few supporters but do little to address the concerns of millions who look to the Opposition for leadership.


Opposition does not flourish through disruption alone; it must engage with substance. Mr. Gandhi’s repeated attempts to pivot to issues such as corporate malfeasance involving Adani or alleged constitutional violations by the BJP lack coherence and are often eclipsed by his own missteps. His claim that the BJP’s protests were designed to shield the Home Minister from scrutiny over contentious remarks would carry more weight if it were not delivered in the shadow of yesterday’s disgraceful scuffle. His conduct, particularly towards a female MP, as alleged, undermines the moral high ground he so often claims.


Parliament is a theater of ideas, not a boxing ring. For a Leader of Opposition to resort to alleged physicality in the face of disagreement is not only unbecoming but corrosive to the institutions he is sworn to uphold. Rahul Gandhi must realize that leadership is not just about resistance; it is about responsibility. Without this epiphany, he risks reducing the Congress party—and its proud legacy—to a footnote in Indian politics.


In a democracy as vibrant and complex as India’s, dissent is a cornerstone. However, dissent devoid of discipline and direction risks undermining the very institutions it seeks to protect. It is time for Rahul Gandhi to rise above his penchant for theatrics and deliver the mature leadership that his position — and the nation — demands.

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