Congress chief Kharge raises LPG crisis in Rajya Sabha, govt hits back over ‘politics on shortage’ | India News
NEW DELHI: Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday raised the LPG crisis stemming from the West Asian conflict, questioning why the government, despite being aware of the regional tensions, did not plan ahead or make alternative arrangements to import LPG. “Why didn’t the government come up with alternative measures when it was aware of regional tensions? Why wasn’t the opposition taken on board for a coordinated response to public concerns.” Why is the government not taking any measures to prevent black market and stockpiling of LPG? This crisis not only exposes our mismanagement but also our weak domestic and foreign policies,” he alleged.
Kharg’s submission, which extended beyond the 3 minutes allotted to each member during the zero hour, drew a sharp response from House leader JP Nadda, who accused the opposition of spreading anarchy and indulging in politics over the LPG shortage, instead of standing with the government as it manages the situation not by India’s own development but by international ones. While reminding Kharge of Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri’s earlier statement on the LPG situation in LS, Nadda reminded that Congress MPs also did not listen to him. Nadda claimed that a Congress leader himself was caught stockpiling LPG. Earlier, Kharge said the LPG crisis has created panic across the country, due to its adverse impact on poor, middle-class families besides restaurants, hostels and commercial establishments. Noting that India imports LPG to meet 60% of its domestic demand, he added that 90% of these imports come through the Strait of Hormuz. “Both LPG availability and price stability have become serious concerns...MSME and commercial users are facing problems in securing LPG refills. It is worrisome that some establishments have stopped working and some are paying up to Rs 5000 per cylinder,” he claimed.Pointing to Puri’s claim that there is no LPG shortage, Kharge alleged that the ground reality is different. “When India was issuing advisories to its citizens in Iran, warning of the deteriorating situation, it should have warned of the adverse impact on critical sea routes and energy supplies. We should have prepared accordingly. The government was aware of the impending situation in the Strait of Hormuz. So we would not have faced this crisis if there was advance planning and alternative system of LPG import,” he pointed out.
