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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.

Target Unemployed Youths

Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana

In an effort to combat young unemployment, the Maharashtra government has launched the Mukhyamantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana (Chief Minister Youth Work Training Scheme). The government introduced this scheme with the aim to provide valuable internship opportunities, equipping young individuals with essential skills and enhancing their employability in a competitive job market. The government has made provision of Rs 5,500 crore for the scheme. Candidates aged between 18 to 35 years and residing in Maharashtra are eligible to apply under the scheme. Minimum educational qualifications range from 12th pass to post-graduation, ensuring a broad spectrum of youth can benefit from practical training opportunities. Industries and establishments operating within Maharashtra, registered with the Department of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, are also encouraged to participate in this new government venture.


The Chief Minister announced this scheme. While outlining the details of the scheme, the CM emphasized its potential impact on enhancing youth employment prospects. “Under this initiative, the government will provide a stipend of Rs 6,000 for 12th pass candidates, Rs 8,000 for those with ITI and diploma qualifications, and Rs 10,000 for graduates and postgraduates,” Shinde stated, highlighting the varying levels of support based on educational attainment. Key features of the scheme include a six-month internship duration and a stipend structure designed to support interns based on their educational qualifications. Interns will receive monthly stipends through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).


According to the State government, the scheme is expected to not only empower the youth with practical skills but also foster entrepreneurship and innovation across various sectors within Maharashtra. This initiative nurtures a skilled workforce capable of contributing effectively to the state’s economic growth and development. It seeks to give valuable internship opportunities for young people, equipping them with critical skills and increasing their employability in a competitive labour market. However, this scheme received a setback as it was challenged in the High court.


A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Bombay High Court against the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ and ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojna’ schemes announced by the Maharashtra government. The petitioner sought an interim order to stay implementation of the scheme, as the amount will be disbursed to beneficiaries later this month. In a praecipe, the petitioner said, “Due to the Government’s schemes there is an additional burden on direct and indirect taxpayers and the exchequer. Taxes are for infrastructure development and not for irrational cash schemes. The scheme costs around 4,600 crore, which is a huge burden for a debt-ridden State that already owes 7.8 lakhs crores. The high court dismissed the PIL challenging both the schemes.

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