Goa Mahila Congress protests LPG scarcity and price hikes

PANAJI: Members of the Goa Mahila Pradesh Congress staged a protest at Panaji market on Saturday to voice their opposition to the scarcity of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders and the recent increase in prices.

During the demonstration, participants held placards stating “The PM is Compromised” and burnt firewood for cooking to symbolise the lack of available fuel.

Pratiksha Khalap, President of the Goa Mahila Pradesh Congress, stated that the shortage has caused severe inconvenience for women across the state. “LPG has gone up by Rs 60 and now costs around Rs 925. This is their strategy for every election: increase the price of the cylinder, then reduce it, and then they increase it again,” she said.

Khalap questioned the government’s conflicting statements regarding fuel reserves.

“People do not have cylinders to cook food. The Chief Minister is fooling everyone. First, he said there is stock for 50 days, then he said one month. If that is the case, why are people waiting in queues? If there are no cylinders, how will self-help groups prepare food items? The government is responsible for this.”

She further alleged that inflation is affecting all essential services, claiming that electricity and water bills have also risen.

Khalap said that the current administration is prioritising corporate interests over the public.

“Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri is involved in the Epstein Files. The USA is blackmailing the PM into doing things, hence the PM is compromised. The government is only interested in helping crony capitalists like Adani and Ambani. Perhaps it is their ploy to shut down the supply of cylinders and hand it over to these companies to run later,” she added.

Congress Mahila member Akshata Parab highlighted the failure of delivery services, stating that many households are struggling to cope.

“We are in trouble; everything has become expensive. What are we supposed to do? We are not earning much. We want the cylinder price to be reduced. Inflation is high. The BJP has made everything expensive, while taxes have also been increased,” she said.

Lavinia Da Costa, General Secretary of the Goa Mahila Congress, raised concerns regarding the emergence of a black market for fuel.

“Goans cannot afford their basic staple food of fish, curry, and rice as there are no cylinders. Water, light, and cylinders are basic necessities. They are saying wait for 25 days before booking cylinders, but what if our cylinder is exhausted before then? If we buy induction hobs, our power bills will increase. The government should spare a thought for the common man and how they are suffering,” she said.

Da Costa said that the crisis is beginning to impact the local economy.

“Tourism is being affected as hotels are suffering; some are on the verge of closing down. People are waiting in queues for cylinders, and black marketing has started. Some are selling these for as much as Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000. We demand that the government restore the supply of LPG cylinders immediately.”