Tejashwi Yadav defends INDIA bloc's boycott of 'pro-BJP' news anchors
Patna (PTI): Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has defended the opposition INDIA bloc's decision to boycott alleged pro-BJP news anchors.
The RJD leader was talking to reporters here on Friday, upon his return from Delhi, where the decision to this effect was taken during a coordination committee meeting of the INDIA coalition.
He also admonished his party colleague and cabinet minister Chandra Shekhar for his controversial remarks on Ramcharitmanas.
"The sub-committee concerned took the decision not to take part in shows organised by those who are rabidly pro-BJP and try to give things an incendiary turn," said Yadav, upon being asked about the opposition coalition's move, which has irked the ruling party at the Centre and also drawn flak from some journalists' bodies.
About the utterances of Chandra Shekhar, who holds the education portfolio, the deputy CM said, "In my view, he should avoid raising unnecessary controversy and concentrate more on the functioning of his department."
The RJD leader, however, added, "I also have a complaint against too much of media glare around such negative things. The education department in the state recently held a teachers' recruitment drive which was unprecedented in scale. I hardly saw any coverage in the mainstream media."
Yadav also sought to make light of the Bihar visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is scheduled to hold a rally in Madhubani district and attend a Sashastra Seema Bal function in Araria on Saturday.
"The visit may be of benefit to the home minister's party. What is Bihar going to get out of it? His government has failed to provide the state a special package, what to speak of the long-standing demand for a special category status," Yadav alleged.
"The home minister has been visiting Bihar almost every month. I wish he took some time off to go to Manipur which is ruled by his party and where the situation resembles a civil war," the RJD leader added.
He also scoffed at speculations in a section of the media that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who received a warm welcome from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a G20 event last weekend, could plan yet another volte-face.
The young leader remarked, "Things do not happen that way. But, if the BJP people feel happy imagining such a scenario, let them enjoy some sweets. It will make them halt their hate propaganda across the country for some time."
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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.
