Sikkim govt sets up control rooms in all districts to regulate LPG cylinder distribution
Gangtok (PTI): The Sikkim government has set up a control room in all six districts to regulate distribution of LPG cylinders throughout the state, officials said on Monday.
A notification issued by Food & Civil Supplies Secretary Devariya Bardhan said that in view of the prevailing geopolitical situation affecting the availability of LPG cylinders, there is a need for an effective monitoring, better coordination, and timely redressal of public grievances related to cooking gas supply.
Accordingly, it has been decided to set up a control room at the state-level as well in all the six districts to regulate distribution of cooking gas cylinders, it said.
Domestic LPG distribution will follow a regulated refill schedule – once every 25 days in urban areas and once every 45 days in rural areas – while in the distribution of commercial LPG, priority will be given to hospitals and educational institutions, it said.
The control rooms will function round-the-clock with dedicated helpline numbers for public access.
The authorities have been directed to prevent hoarding, black marketing, and panic buying of cooking gas cylinders, the notification said.
All complaints related to LPG shortage, overcharging, or malpractice will be addressed promptly, and strict action will be taken against the violators, it said.
The arrangement for monitoring and regulation of LPG cylinder distribution will remain in force until further orders.
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Kerala CM Vijayan urges PM Modi to withdraw FCRA amendment provisions
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed concerns over certain provisions in the proposed FCRA Bill and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to withdraw them.
In a letter to Modi, Vijayan said the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, has sparked concern among various sections of society, particularly minority communities.
A copy of the letter, sent on Sunday, was shared on his Facebook page on Monday.
In the letter, Vijayan noted that a perusal of the bill’s clauses indicates that powers have been granted to authorities to take over assets even for technical omissions.
“The apprehension is that granting such sweeping powers to authorities could lead to arbitrary exercise, and such concerns cannot be dismissed as baseless,” he said.
The chief minister pointed out that the existing law already provides sufficient powers to deal with misuse by entities permitted to receive foreign contributions.
He further said the amendment proposes enabling the takeover of assets, including places of worship and charitable organisations, even in cases involving technical issues such as violations of time limits.
Vijayan warned that the provisions could adversely affect institutions engaged in selfless service in areas such as education, healthcare, and the welfare of the poor and marginalised, even in the absence of significant lapses.
Stating that the issue has triggered concerns among religious groups and minority communities, the CM urged the prime minister to intervene in the matter at the earliest.
He also urged the PM to take steps to withdraw the provisions related to the takeover of assets in the amendment bill, noting that the existing Act has adequate safeguards to address violations.
The chief minister wrote to Modi at a time when reports about the proposed provisions in the FCRA Bill had triggered widespread reactions among political parties and various church denominations in poll-bound Kerala.
