Jaipur, March 27 The Rajasthan unit of the Congress on Friday criticized the Centre's "policy failures" regarding LPG supply, saying that while the government has raised concerns about it in Parliament, it denies any crisis elsewhere.
Addressing a protest at Shaheed Smarak here against inflation and cooking gas prices, Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed to deliver on his promises regarding price rise, jobs, and strengthening the economy, claiming that the fuel situation has exposed gaps in the government's planning and implementation.
He also alleged that schemes such as the Ujjwala Yojana, aimed at providing LPG connections to poor households, have lost effectiveness as the beneficiaries are now struggling with rising cylinder prices and irregular supply.
"Inflation and fuel shortages are affecting households as well as industries, and the government has failed to ensure adequate reserves of petroleum products," he said.
He claimed that despite early indications of global disruptions, the government did not prepare in time, leading to the current shortages.
"There is confusion about the actual situation. On the one hand, the government denies any crisis, while on the other hand, it is raising concerns in Parliament," he said.
Modi told parliament this week that difficult global conditions caused by the West Asia conflict are likely to persist for a long time and called upon the nation to remain prepared and united, just as it had stood together during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement in Lok Sabha, the prime minister addressed concerns related to the impact on fuel, fertilisers, among others, detailing steps taken by the government to ensure that "ordinary families face as little trouble as possible". He also said that the conflict has had a very adverse impact on the global economy and on people's lives.
Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully also criticised the Centre and alleged that flawed policies have led to the current situation. "The situation has forced people to struggle for essential commodities like LPG," he said.
He referred to the Barmer refinery project and claimed that most of the work had been completed during the previous Congress government, but the remaining work has been delayed, which is preventing it from becoming operational.
Jully also alleged that domestic crude production has reduced and reserves have shrunk, claiming that supply cuts to industries have affected production and employment.
"On the ground, people are standing in long queues for LPG cylinders, while dealers are reporting a cut in supply, which reflects the seriousness of the situation," he said.
Several other leaders, including former minister Pratap Singh Khachariawas, addressed the party workers.
The central government slashed excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 per litre and exempted diesel fully from the duty on Friday – which the Congress alleged was done in view of the upcoming assembly polls.