Chandigarh, March 11 The AAP government in Punjab moved a resolution in the state assembly on Wednesday against the Centre over the increase in LPG rates and the looming shortage of commercial cylinders, and expressed concern that it would affect restaurants, eateries, and other sectors.
The resolution against the BJP-led Union government was moved by Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak. Several state ministers and legislators spoke on the issue.
The resolution blamed the Union government for its "wrong policies" and causing hardship to people due to the LPG shortage.
Kataruchak said that the rates of domestic LPG cylinders and commercial cylinders were raised by Rs 60 and Rs 115 respectively, putting an additional burden on consumers. He also cited news reports suggesting that the businesses of restaurants and eateries will be adversely affected due to the shortage of LPG.
Participating in the discussion, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains described the situation as serious and said that the country was facing a crisis due to the "failure" of the BJP government's foreign policy. He also said that two National Fertilizers Limited plants at Nangal and Bathinda were almost shut.
Accusing the BJP government of keeping people in the dark, he demanded that the Centre provide information about fuel and LPG stocks.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that oil stocks in the country are declining and expressed apprehension of an economic crisis in the country.
AAP MLAs even raised slogans against the BJP government over this matter.
With the escalating conflict between Iran and the US-Israel combine disrupting global fuel lifelines, including India's LPG supplies, the government has prioritized domestic cooking gas supply to households, leading to a supply crunch for hotels and restaurants that use commercial LPG.