Nagpur, March 7 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said reports suggesting a potential shortage of LPG cylinders in the context of the West Asia conflict are speculative and not in the interest of the country.
He appealed to the media to avoid speculative reporting, emphasizing that the Centre is looking into the situation.
Responding to a query regarding reports about a potential shortage of LPG cylinders, Fadnavis urged the media not to create panic or fear among citizens without any reason.
"Presenting speculative reports and discussing hypothetical scenarios leads to panic and confusion, which is not in the interest of the country and society. The Central government has clearly stated this yesterday," he added.
When questioned about the timeline for the implementation of the loan waiver announced in the 2026-27 budget, Fadnavis said that some individuals are trying to create confusion by claiming that nationalized banks, district banks, or certain credit societies will not implement the crop loan write-off.
"We will provide a loan waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh to any bank that extends crop loans. Our aim is to ensure that farmers benefit from this initiative, not the banks. We have already announced that the loan waiver will be implemented before June 30."
"This waiver will be more beneficial than previous measures," he added.
Notably, the prices of domestic LPG and commercial cylinders were increased by a significant Rs 60 and Rs 114.5, respectively, amid rising energy costs linked to the West Asia conflict.
Industry officials said the increase followed a steep rise in global energy prices since the outbreak of military conflict in West Asia.
