Rons Bantwal

Mumbai, March 16: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Maharashtra president, Shashikant Shinde, has strongly condemned the severe inconvenience faced by citizens across the state due to shortages of fuel and household gas, urging district authorities to take urgent remedial action.

Shinde pointed to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, intensified by the United States’ anti-Iran stance, as the root cause of the escalating crisis in West Asia. “This has resulted in widespread shortages of fuel and domestic gas across India, leaving Mumbai residents in acute distress,” he said.

“While both the central and state governments claim through media and advertisements that supplies are proceeding smoothly, the reality reflected on social media is extremely alarming,” Shinde added.

Despite government assurances that 2–3 fuel cargo ships arriving by sea would soon replenish supplies, long queues at fuel and gas distribution points across the state remain a common sight. Shinde accused the government of “complete inefficiency” in handling the crisis.

He further noted the rise in queues outside domestic gas agencies, with reports of black-marketing. “Licences of such agencies must be revoked immediately. Supply of gas to commercial hotels and food streets must continue without disruption,” Shinde said.

Submitting a memorandum to the district collector, Shinde demanded that the state government immediately form a committee, appoint district collectors as heads, and conduct a full investigation into the situation.

NCP officials present included Milind (Anna) Kamble, Suhael Subedar, Chitrapu Lakshman C Poojary, and several other party office-bearers and workers.

Shinde emphasised that immediate measures must be taken to ensure smooth distribution of fuel and household gas, highlighting the failures of both the state and central governments in addressing the crisis.