BJP supporters among leading beef exporters: Siddaramaiah
Siddaramaiah urges Centre to ban export of beef
Bengaluru, Dec 11: Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Friday alleged BJP supporters were among the leading beef exporters in the country, as he attacked the ruling party in Karnataka over the contentious anti-cow slaughter bill, terming it "draconian and unscientific".
Two days after the state assembly passed the bill that proposes a maximum of seven years' imprisonment and fine of Rs five lakh for the offenders amid a walkout by Congress, Siddaramiah also demanded a ban on beef exports and a uniform policy across the country.
"..those who are involved in beef exports are mostly from BJP, see their names, they are all BJP supporters," the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly told reporter, listing out some names.
Quoting a prominent Hindu seer Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, Siddaramaiah said the beef exports have risen after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014 and gave figures for the last few years.
"So I demand, ban beef exports, bring uniform policy across the country," he said and asked as to why BJP was bringing in such laws in select states.
He said in 2012-13 beef exports stood at 10.76 lakh tonnes and rose to 14.75 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 while it hovered over 13 lakh tonnes in the subsequent three years.
"Have they (BJP) controlled it. on one side you give permits for exports and encourage making money from it, on the other side you bring in such laws without proper thinking," he said adding if the ill effects were not addressed it will lead to economic problems, unemployment and farmer distress.
The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill was passed by the assembly on Wednesday, amid din and stiff opposition from Congress, which eventually staged a walkout.
As the bill is yet to be introduced in the legislative council, which has been adjourned sine die, the government is now mulling promulgating an ordinance to bring it into effect.
Siddaramaiah described the legislation as draconian, unscientific and anti-farmer and said no study was undertaken on its social or economic impact.
"Bring a policy for the whole country, before that constitute an expert committee, let the Centre do it, let their report about the social and economic impact of such a decision be placed before the people, let there be discussion...," he said.
The former Chief Minister said let the government purchase the unproductive cattle or the ones that were not used for agriculture purposes instead of putting the burden on farmers.
He also raised apprehension that the bill, if implemented, may legalise lynching.
Siddaramiah expressed displeasure over the manner in which the bill was introduced and passed in the assembly on the same day without discussion.
If @BJP4India has so much concern about Cow, they should come up with one law for the entire country, including Kerala and North Eastern States. It should also stop exports of cattle meat.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) December 11, 2020
3/11
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
