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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.

Shinde Sena’s Rahool Kanal, 19 Others Booked for Vandalising Mumbai Comedy Club

Attack follows Kunal Kamra’s jibe at Eknath Shinde; Sena MP calls him a ‘hired comedian’

Mumbai’s comedy scene turned into a battleground after a stand-up performance by Kunal Kamra sparked outrage among Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) supporters. The comedian’s remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde—where he referred to him as a ‘traitor’ while referencing the song Dil To Pagal Hai—went viral, triggering a backlash.


Following the uproar, Shiv Sena (Shinde) Yuva Sena General Secretary Rahool Kanal and several party workers allegedly vandalised The Habitat Comedy Club in Khar West, located inside The Unicontinental Mumbai hotel. An FIR has been registered against Kanal and 19 others under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Maharashtra Police Act. The charges include rioting, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation, trespassing, and obstructing government work, with police invoking 13 legal provisions against the accused.


Authorities stated that the case involves 30 to 40 party workers, including Kanal and Kunal Sarmalkar. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske dismissed Kamra as a "hired comedian" allegedly paid to attack their leader. "Kunal Kamra is just a mouthpiece for money. He cannot freely move anywhere in India—Shiv Sainiks will ensure he faces consequences," Mhaske declared.


Mhaske also took a swipe at the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) faction and its leader Sanjay Raut, claiming they had resorted to using comedians for political attacks due to a lack of party members. "Sena (UBT) has no workers left, so they’re hiring people like Kamra to do their bidding," he alleged.


In the wake of the vandalism, Shiv Sena (Shinde) workers gathered at Khar Police Station to file a complaint against Kamra, demanding his arrest. The party has also threatened legal action if the comedian does not issue a public apology.

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