BRS protests gas shortage, seeks discussion in Assembly

KT Rama Rao led BRS legislators in Hyderabad protesting LPG shortages, demanding clarity from Centre and State. The party linked supply disruptions to West Asia tensions, citing hardships for households, vendors and small businesses amid rising prices

Hyderabad: BRS legislators led by party working president KT Rama Rao staged a protest on Tuesday over shortage of LPG cylinders in the State, seeking immediate measures to ease the situation. They demanded immediate clarification from both the Central and the State governments on the supply situation.

Ahead of the Assembly session, BRS members gathered at Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park and held a demonstration carrying placards shaped like gas cylinders. Raising slogans against rising prices and irregular supply, they marched toward the Assembly with the placards, seeking a discussion on the issue in the House.

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The party leaders said supply of commercial gas cylinders to hotels and small vendors had been halted in several places even as authorities maintained that there was no shortage. They said the disruption had affected lakhs of people, including small traders, hotel workers and middle-class households dependent on LPG.

Speaking to mediapersons earlier, Rama Rao linked the shortage to the ongoing tensions in West Asia. He said the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States had strained global supply chains, with ordinary citizens bearing the impact.

“People are standing in long queues at gas agencies across the country, yet the Central government says there is no shortage. At the same time, it is shifting the blame to the State government which is admitting to the shortage and blaming the Centre, instead. Both governments must tell the truth to the public,” he said, adding that the Centre was reportedly planning to reduce the size of cylinders after the ongoing elections in five States conclude.

He demanded that the Centre explore alternative sources if imports from Iran were affected and urged the State government to explain the situation in the Assembly. He said the BRS had moved adjournment motions in both Houses seeking a debate on the gas supply crisis.