West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday led a protest march in Kolkata against the reported shortage of LPG cylinders and the recent rise in cooking gas prices, turning the issue into a political flashpoint ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
The rally, organised by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), began at College Square and concluded at Dorina Crossing. Several senior party leaders and hundreds of supporters joined the march to highlight the difficulties faced by households and small businesses due to the LPG shortage.
The demonstration was projected by the party as a united mobilisation for the “rights and dignity of the people of Bengal” amid what it described as a worsening gas supply crisis.
Addressing supporters during the march, Banerjee criticised the Government of India, accusing it of failing to ensure an adequate supply of cooking gas and protect consumers from rising prices. She said the shortage had forced many people to stand in long queues for cylinders, causing inconvenience to both families and businesses.
Speaking to a Bengali news channel on March 11, Banerjee said the situation could have been avoided if the Centre had planned ahead for potential disruptions in global energy supply chains.
“The central government should have ensured adequate reserves of LPG, oil and gas first. Without that, restrictions have been imposed without proper planning to deal with the crisis,” she said.
According to reports, the price of domestic LPG cylinders has increased by around ₹60 in recent weeks. Political leaders in the state have linked the price rise and supply disruptions to instability in global fuel markets amid tensions in West Asia.
The issue has triggered a political confrontation between the ruling TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the opposition accusing the state government of mismanaging distribution while the TMC has blamed the Centre for the crisis.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has set up a 24-hour LPG control room at Nabanna to monitor supply and coordinate with distributors as authorities attempt to address the shortage.
