West Asia conflict: Gujarat cuts industrial gas use by 50 pc, domestic LPG supply unaffected
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat government has imposed a 50 per cent cut on industrial uses of gas amid concerns over the West Asia conflict, a state minister said on Tuesday, while assuring that domestic LPG distribution remains uninterrupted.
The state and the Centre were coordinating closely to ensure that households do not face any shortage of cooking gas cylinders, Gujarat Energy Minister Rushikesh Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar ahead of the assembly session.
Measures were being taken in line with periodic guidelines issued by the central government to prevent panic and ensure the steady availability of LPG for households, he said.
"The state government is constantly working to make sure that no household is left without a cylinder. We are in continuous contact with the central government regarding this," the minister stated.
ALSO READ: Oil ministry sets up panel as commercial LPG shortage hits hospitality sector
He said restrictions have been placed on certain industrial uses of gas to prioritise domestic consumption.
"We have imposed a 50 per cent cut in the gas supply to industries. For fertiliser and milk (processing), there is a cut of about 40 per cent in gas supply," Patel informed.
The decision was aimed at ensuring that domestic users get cooking gas without any disruption, he said.
"This is to ensure that there is no disruption for domestic gas users. The state government is committed to maintaining a regular and steady supply for households," he added.
Responding to a query about reports from Rajkot claiming that hotels and restaurants are getting messages about restrictions on commercial gas cylinders, Patel denied any such directive.
"There is nothing like that," the minister asserted.
"As far as commercial gas cylinders are concerned, there is currently no cut or restriction on them," he said.
The government's immediate focus is to ensure that domestic kitchens continue to function normally and that there is no disruption to household cooking, the minister said.
"To ensure that no individual faces difficulty in getting cooking gas, especially the gas used for domestic purposes, the state and central governments are working together," he added.
The oil ministry has constituted a committee to examine supply issues after a sudden shortage of commercial LPG cylinders alarmed the hospitality sector, with restaurant associations warning that eateries could shut down within days if supplies are not restored.
"For LPG supply to other non-domestic sectors, a committee of three Executive Directors (EDs) of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have been constituted to review the representations for LPG supply to restaurants/hotels/other industries," the ministry said in a post on X.
India consumes about 31.3 million tonnes of LPG annually. As much as 87 per cent of this is in the domestic sector i.e. household kitchens, and the rest in commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants.
Of this total requirement, as much as 62 per cent is met through imports. The US and Israel's attack on Iran and Tehran's retaliation have shut the Strait of Hormuz - the conduit through which India got 85-90 per cent of its LPG imports from countries like Saudi Arabia.
As alternate sources are being scouted, the limited supplies available meant the government prioritising supplies to the domestic sector, and in the process, the commercial establishments have suffered.
Earlier on March 6, an industry representative said that around 100 ceramic manufacturing units in Gujarat's Morbi have shut down due to disruption in gas supplies amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
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Bengal: CEC Gyanesh Kumar faces 'go back' slogans, shown black flags outside Dakshineswar temple
Kolkata (PTI): Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faced protests with a group of people raising 'go back' slogans and showing black flags to him during his visit to Dakshineswar Kali Temple near here on Tuesday morning.
A similar protest over alleged arbitrary deletions in the post-SIR electoral rolls in the state was held outside the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport upon his arrival in Kolkata on Sunday night.
He had faced the 'go back' slogans and was shown black flags on Monday morning when he visited the Kalighat Temple in the southern part of the city.
Despite the protests outside the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Kumar continued with his scheduled programmes in the state.
The CEC also visited Belur Math in Howrah district this morning, and said the poll panel is committed to violence-free elections in West Bengal.
He said the commission will make efforts to ensure that voters can exercise their franchise in a festive environment.
“The EC would like to ensure that polls will be violence-free or intimidation-free,” Kumar said while speaking to reporters during his visit to Belur Math.
The CEC is on a visit to the state to review poll preparedness and held meetings with political parties and officials on Monday ahead of the assembly elections.
During the meetings on Monday, Kumar warned that any lapse in maintaining law and order ahead of the elections would not be tolerated and stressed the need for strict monitoring to ensure free and fair polls.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had accused Kumar of threatening state officials during a meeting with the administration on Monday, and warned that "false bravado" by constitutional authorities was not acceptable, stepping up the confrontation between the state government and the poll panel over the voter deletions in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
According to official data released on February 28, 63.66 lakh names, around 8.3 per cent of the electorate, have been deleted since the SIR process began in November last year, reducing the voter base from about 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore.
In addition, over 60.06 lakh electors have been placed under the "under adjudication" category, meaning their eligibility will be determined through legal scrutiny in the coming weeks, a process that could further reshape constituency-level electoral equations.
