Karnataka legislative council likely to be stormy tomorrow
Anti-cow slaughter bill to be tabled
Bengaluru, Dec 14: The Karnataka Legislative Council that has been called for a day-long session on Tuesday is expected to be stormy as the ruling BJP is likely to insist on its no-confidence motion against the Chairman, and the tabling of anti-cow slaughter bill is also on the cards.
Accusing Council Chairman K Pratapachandra Shetty of "abruptly" adjourning the session sine die on December 10, the BJP government decided to convene the House, and the ruling party had also petitioned the Governor in this regard.
Though the no-confidence motion moved by it against the Chairman does not find mention in the Council's agenda for Tuesday, the ruling BJP is likely to insist on it, sources said.
According to sources, there is also a possibility of the Chairman rejecting the no-confidence motion.
Even though the contentious anti-cow slaughter bill is mentioned in the agenda, according to BJP sources, its tabling may depend on the no-confidence motion, as it is the priority subject for the ruling side during the session.
It also fears that the bill may be referred to the select committee by the combined opposition.
The opposition Congress will vehemently oppose the no-confidence motion against the Chairman and demand for referring the anti-cow slaughter bill to the select committee, sources said.
The JD(S), according to party sources, is likely to back the no-confidence motion against the Chairman, but oppose the anti-cow slaughter bill, while demanding that it be referred to the select committee.
Chairman Shetty last week set aside the BJP's attempt to move a no-confidence motion against him stating that he was taking legal opinion on the matter.
He had refused to include it in the agenda, citing rules that the subject could be taken up only after 14 days after submission of notice of no-confidence.
The ruling party had expressed serious reservation over the Council Chairman's decision to abruptly adjourn the House on Thursday despite the Business Advisory Committee having scheduled the proceedings till December 15, and even as the no-confidence motion against him was pending.
A BJP delegation had even met Governor Vajubhai Vala in this regard and sought for his intervention, and subsequently the session was convened on Tuesday through the Council Secretary.
The ruling party members have insisted that their no-confidence motion has to be taken up, as the 14 days time period is over, and they are hopeful of succeeding with the help of the JD(S).
However, Leader of opposition in the upper House S R Patil of the Congress said that the BJP's motion had procedural lapses and hence was not valid.
The Congress legislature party meeting has been called on Tuesday morning ahead of the session to decide on their plan of action inside the House, which will be attended by CLP leader Siddaramaiah.
The party has issued a whip to all its members to attend the Council proceedings tomorrow.
Shetty was elected as the Chairman of the Council during the Congress-JD(S) coalition government.
Currently the ruling BJP is the single largest party in the Council with 31 members, followed by Congress with 29 including the chairman.
The JD(S) has 14 members and there is one independent.
A similar no-confidence motion was moved by the then ruling Congress against the previous Council Chairman D H Shankaramuthy, a BJP veteran, in 2017, but it got defeated as the JD(S) had jumped to his support.
The JD(S)' role will be crucial during the proceedings in the Council tomorrow.
Ahead of the session, JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today said, party leader in the House Basavaraj Horatti will take a decision after discussing with other MLCs on the issue of no-confidence motion against the Council chairman.
"However, we are completely opposed to the anti-cow slaughter bill," he said.
Kumaraswamy also noted that that after the session was adjourned sine die by the Council chairman, to call the session once again the government should have decided on the date in the cabinet and sent it to the Governor, but in this case couple of MLCs have petitioned the Governor and the session was called through Council secretary.
"..we need to see if there are technical issues," he added.
The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, which has come to be known as the anti-cow slaughter bill that has been passed by the assembly despite stiff opposition from the Congress, is likely to be taken up by the Council on Tuesday.
The Council was adjourned sine die on December 10 even before the bill was tabled there for passage.
For a bill to become law, its passage in the Council, followed by assent by the Governor is necessary.
According to sources, the BJP government, which had "hurriedly" tabled the bill and ensured its passage in the assembly last week, did not table it in the council on sensing that the numbers were not in its favour with combined opposition-Congress and JD(S)- against it, and may refer it to the joint select committee.
The anti-cow slaughter was in the BJP's manifesto and ever since the party came back to power in the state, several party leaders had been making a pitch to re-enact the law.
The party's state executive had adopted a resolution to this effect.
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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.
