Statewide Protests Erupt Over Cooking Gas Crisis

Thiruvananthapuram: Protests have erupted across the state demanding the immediate resolution of the cooking gas crisis. Under the leadership of the LDF, protests were organised in front of central government offices in various assembly constituencies. Organisations such as DYFI, the Democratic Women's Association, and CITU also held protest programs.

Many hotels in states like Kerala are closing down daily due to a shortage of cooking gas. Several hostels in Kerala have completely shut down, and others are operating with limited resources. Even households are facing mandatory waiting periods of 25 to 90 days to book cooking gas.

Since over 60% of India's natural gas passes through the Hormuz Strait, the supply of cooking gas via pipelines will soon be disrupted.

Meanwhile, the central government has changed the deadline for booking LPG cylinders. According to the new directive, LPG cylinders in rural areas can now only be booked after 45 days, while in urban areas, bookings can be made after a deadline of 25 days.

The central government informed Parliament on Thursday that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, or cooking gas in the country and that fuel supply is secure. This new regulation comes at a time when the government has been claiming that domestic LPG supply in India is completely secure and that the country has sufficient reserves to meet any eventuality.

The current crisis is the result of the central government's failure to take action to resolve the issue, despite receiving a war alert. While major cities in other states are being affected by the crisis, in Kerala, every sector will face problems. Homes that do not use LPG are very few in Kerala, and hotels have started closing down. The limited availability of commercial cylinders will affect a large section of people who rely on hotels for food.