LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh faced shortage of cooking gas cylinders for the fourth consecutive day on Friday, as serpentine queues of consumers outside gas agencies became a common view. Many consumers reported that they did not get their supplies even after the booking.
CM Yogi Adityanath has directed action against black marketing of gas and oil. He has instructed officials to monitor the situation. Due to the shortage, demand for induction cooktops and stoves increased throughout the state. Restaurants and hotels are also feeling the heat of the shortage, as food prices have started rising almost in all cities.
Meanwhile, the authorities opted for distributing cylinders in police presence to avert attempts at black marketing and control crowds. However, it did not succeed everywhere. A fight broke out in the Barabanki city when customers were waiting in a queue outside a gas agency and a vehicle loaded with LPG cylinders arrived.
A man tried to enter the queue midway, who was stopped by others. In Ghaziabad, people created a ruckus. As soon as a truck reached an agency, people rushed to collect cylinders, causing unruly situation. The police managed to control the situation.
Cylinders being sold in black
Many cities saw cylinders being sold in the black market. People were forced to buy cylinders at double the price at many places.
Collapsed due to exhaustion
After waiting in the queue for nearly two hours, Mittal reportedly sat on a gas cylinder due to exhaustion and suddenly collapsed.
Chaos erupts in J’khand House
The Jharkhand Assembly, on 13th day of the Budget Session on Friday, witnessed a heated exchange of words between the ruling coalition and the opposition over the shortage of gas cylinders and the rising prices of petrol, diesel and domestic cooking gas (LPG), as well as the prevailing supply crisis.