LPG row rocks Chhattisgarh assembly; 30 Congress MLAs briefly suspended after they trooped to well of House

RAIPUR: A stormy confrontation over LPG cylinder shortage and rising prices rocked the Chhattisgarh assembly on Thursday, with the opposition accusing the govt of ignoring public distress, the treasury benches countering that the matter lay outside the House’s jurisdiction, and Congress MLAs eventually being suspended after they trooped into the well raising slogans.

The row erupted during the budget session when the leader of opposition Charandas Mahant raised the issue in zero hour of the cooking gas crisis, saying over 36 lakh people across the state, including hotel operators, were struggling to get cylinders. He argued that the issue directly affected households, small businesses and daily life, and deserved an immediate discussion through an adjournment motion.He alleged that despite assurances from the chief minister earlier that Chhattisgarh would not face any shortage of cooking gas, prices were increased soon afterwards, adding to the burden on consumers already grappling with inflation.

Interrupting Mahant, senior BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar objected to the demand for discussion, arguing that LPG supply and pricing fall under the jurisdiction of the Union government and therefore the matter did not come within the scope of the state assembly.Former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel supported Mahant’s demand, saying that while LPG supply may not be a direct state subject, issues such as black-marketing and hoarding fall within the responsibility of the state govt.

Baghel said the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran has affected lives across the country, with reports of cooking gas shortages emerging from several states.Commercial gas cylinder supply has been disrupted. Nearly 50 per cent of hotels in big cities have shut their operations. Even in Chhattisgarh, there are reports of hotels being shut down as disruptions in commercial LPG supply had begun affecting hotels and restaurants in several places.“This is why we have raised the matter in the House,” Baghel said, urging the Chair to accept the adjournment motion in the interest of the public.He demanded that the govt place before the House details of available stock of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders and outline steps being taken to ensure smooth supply and prevent hoarding.However, the Chair rejected the adjournment motion, stating that the matter related to the Centre.

The decision triggered loud protests from opposition members, who moved into the well of the House raising slogans against the govt.As the disruption escalated, the Chair announced the suspension of 30 Congress MLAs for entering the well. The suspension was later revoked shortly afterwards.The day also saw an awkward moment for the ruling side when BJP MLA Lata Usendi questioned her own govt over non-payment of dues for health department programmes conducted on verbal and written orders. Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal responded that payments would be processed after verification of documents. Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma took a swipe at the treasury benches, remarking that if even a ruling party MLA was not being heard, the opposition had little chance.