Chennai: The DMK has accused the central government of cheating Tamil Nadu by creating a crisis of cylinder shortage, as commercial LPG supplies grind to a halt across the state amid the ongoing Iran war disruptions.
In a strongly worded post on its official social media page, DMK Updates detailed the severity of the crisis affecting the state. Commercial cylinders weighing 5, 19, 35, 47.50 and 450 kilograms have not been filled at the gas filling stations of central government public sector undertakings Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum since last Friday. In addition, authorities have ordered that only 80 percent of household cylinders be distributed, further straining domestic supplies.
Chennai Restaurants face closure as DMK alleges Centre deliberately starving Tamil Nadu of gas
Taking advantage of the acute shortage, commercial cylinders are being sold in the black market at twice their original price, the DMK alleged.
Chennai Hotel Association President R. Ravi has warned that big restaurants have only two days of stock remaining, while many small restaurants have already been forced to shut down. To conserve gas, establishments have stopped preparing sweet and savoury dishes that require continuous fuel, switching instead to items that need very little cooking time. This shift is directly affecting the food habits and livelihoods of people across Tamil Nadu.
Despite meetings and complaints lodged with the Union Petroleum Minister, no solution has been reached so far. Restaurant owners have expressed deep concern, noting that stopping the supply is equivalent to starving people when 140 grams of gas is required for one person to cook a single meal. The IVRS system for consumer reservations has also stopped functioning properly, adding to the difficulties faced by households trying to book cylinders.
Iran war fallout: DMK says Centre cheating Tamil Nadu as LPG crisis worsens
The DMK statement asserted that these incidents have exposed how the central government, which should have acted on a war footing to address the crisis, is instead ignoring the demands of Tamil Nadu and cheating its people. The public now believes that the Centre is deliberately turning a blind eye to the commercial and livelihood needs of the state.
The criticism from the DMK comes as restaurant bodies across India report severe LPG shortages, with the Bengaluru Hotels Association warning of closures and the Chennai Hotels Association formally appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for intervention. The central government has invoked the Essential Commodities Act and directed refineries to maximise LPG production, but opposition parties have continued to attack the government over the supply disruptions and price hikes.