Chennai [Tamil Nadu], March 10 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday said he was written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Union Government intervention to ensure the safety of Tamils living across Gulf countries and also to examine the supply of LPG cylinders.
This comes in the backdrop of escalating war in West Asia between Iran, Israel and the United States, which has spread to the Gulf countries.
Stalin, this morning, held a review meeting to assess the possible impact of the ongoing US- Iran conflict on Tamil Nadu and to chart the necessary response measures.
"I have written to the Hon'ble PM Modi, urging the Union Government to ensure the safety of Tamils living across the affected Gulf countries and to safeguard the welfare of Tamil Nadu fishermen who are currently stranded in the region," the Tamil Nadu chief minister said in a post on X.
"I have also emphasised that the Union Government must ensure that the LPG Cylinder shortage arising from this conflict does not affect the public, commercial establishments, or MSME industries in Tamil Nadu. I have further urged that all necessary alternative arrangements be made for restaurants affected by commercial gas cylinder shortage and that the additional power required be secured and supplied," Stalin said.
Meanwhile, the Chennai Hotels Association has appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders needed for the food industry.
In a letter to Prime Minister Modi and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the President of the Association, M Ravi has pointed out that the supply of commercial LPG cylinders should be taken in the essential supply list as there has been a shortage of the supply in the city of Chennai.
The association said that the IT industry, colleges, tourism, travellers and banquets for weddings and conferences are the main customers who are likely to bear the brunt and appealed to the Prime Minister to address the issue immediately.
DMK MP Kanimozhi has also raised concerns over the reported halt in commercial LPG cylinder distribution in parts of South India, including Tamil Nadu, saying the development has caused widespread public anxiety. She added that reports of a possible petrol shortage have further heightened these fears.
In a post on social media X, Kanimozhi urged the Union government to act swiftly to prevent any disruption in fuel supplies that could affect livelihoods and the economy. Referring to the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, she criticised what she described as delayed responses by the BJP-led Centre during past crises and called for immediate corrective measures.
"The suspension of commercial LPG cylinder distribution in South Indian states, including Tamil Nadu, has triggered widespread concern among the public. Reports indicating a possible shortage of fuels such as petrol have further deepened these anxieties," Kanimozhi's post read.
"Given the seriousness of the situation, the Union government must act swiftly to address the issue and put in place effective measures to prevent disruptions that could affect people's livelihoods and the broader economy," the DMK MP further said.
Meanwhile, RK Gupta, the National Vice President of the LPG Association, has said that there is no shortage in the supply of domestic LPG.
"According to the oil companies, there is no shortage in supply. Commercial LPG cylinders have not been issued since yesterday, but an exemption has been given to hospitals and educational institutions. There is no shortage in the supply of domestic LPG," Gupta told ANI.
The Central government has invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to regulate the supply, availability and distribution of petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas, including LNG and re-gasified LNG, ensuring critical sectors receive priority supply.
According to the order, the supply of natural gas to certain sectors shall be treated as priority allocation and shall be maintained subject to operational availability to one hundred per cent. of their average past six-month average gas consumption. These sectors include: Domestic Piped Natural Gas supply; Compressed Natural Gas for transport; LPG production, including LPG shrinkage requirements; Pipeline compressor fuel and other essential pipeline operational requirements.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has prioritised domestic LPG supply to households and ordered oil refineries to increase LPG production. It has formed a committee of three Executive Directors of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to review requests from restaurants, hotels and other commercial users.
India relies on imports of liquefied natural gas to meet its demand, a significant share of which comes from suppliers in West Asia.