As winter sets in and people shiver in the sub-zero temperature, Kashmir is facing acute shortage of cooking gas. The crisis, triggered by Indian government's decision to restrict the number of subsidised LPG cylinders to six per year on authorised connection has affected the middle class most. According to official figures, Kashmir has almost one million LPG consumers.
People say that rigorous verification process for procuring LPG connections results in unnecessary hardships. Large queues of people outside the gas outlets have become a common sight in Kashmir these days.
Abulhassan has been waiting since morning to get his gas connection verified. He says oil companies and the government are taking people for a ride.
Members of civil society, political parties, and trade unionists have been strongly protesting against the cap on subsidized LPG cylinders. The crisis has already resulted in one casualty. A 63-year man died of cardiac arrest two days back while waiting for his turn to get his gas connection verified.
The energy analysts opine that Kashmir being a cold high altitude region needs more cooking gas supply to meet the demands.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, the state government says it is treating the matter as a top priority.
The crisis is likely to escalate further when the only road connectivity to the region gets blocked due to snowfall, and the essential supplies to this region get choked.
The local political leaders have sounded the alarm bells, warning New Delhi that the LPG crisis may fuel another spell of unrest in Kashmir, which is witnessing uneasy calm these days.
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