As concerns grow over the availability of LPG amid disruptions in global fuel supply triggered by the ongoing Iran-US conflict, Hindustan Petroleum has said steps are being taken to ensure that cooking gas remains available for households and key public services.. Several hotel associations across India have reported a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders. (Praful Gangurde / HT Photo). In a statement addressing the situation, the company said, “In light of current geopolitical disruptions affecting global fuel supply, steps have been taken to enhance LPG production and prioritise its availability for domestic consumers and essential non-domestic sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions.”. What hotel associations said. Several hotel associations across India have reported a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, just days after the prices of both commercial and domestic gas cylinders were increased nationwide. Hotel associations in Bengaluru and Chennai flagged disruptions, warning that restaurants in the respective cities may be forced to halt operations on Tuesday, March 10, if the LPG supply was not restored.. The development comes amid a hike in oil prices globally due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US which has triggered unrest across the Middle East. The situation has triggered concerns of a further spike in energy prices, given Iran’s targeting of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.. The Chennai Hotels Association and the Bangalore Hotels Association on Monday claimed that commercial LPG supply to restaurants in both cities have taken a massive hit. “Since the gas supply has stopped, the hotels will be closed from tomorrow,” the association in Bengaluru said, as quoted by news agency PTI.. The Chennai hotels body issued a statement seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in the matter. “Commercial LPG distributors have completely stopped supplying cylinders, stating that they have no stock available. As a result, many restaurants are forced to shut down,” the body said in a tweet.. What did govt say?. Amid oil price hike concerns and reports of LPG shortage to hotels in India, the government issued a statement on Monday, ordering oil refineries to increase LPG production and use such extra production for domestic use.. “The ministry has prioritised domestic LPG supply to households and introduced 25 day inter- booking period to avoid hoarding/black marketing,” the ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a statement. The ministry also said that a committee has been constituted to review the representations for LPG supply to restaurants.. The prices of LPG cylinders for commercial use was hiked by ₹115 and for domestic use by ₹60 last week. 

 On Tuesday, the Supreme Court stressed that the constitutional right to a speedy trial aims to protect undertrials from prolonged detention while also delivering prompt justice to victims and their families, voicing concern over the extended delays in criminal trials in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The court further noted that the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh could have stepped in sooner. (Photo from HT file). While hearing a case concerning delays in a murder trial, a court bench expressed that it was “extremely disappointed” to learn that as many as 351 sessions trials in the UT have been pending for over five years, involving a total of 585 accused persons. The court was especially disturbed that most of these cases—235 in total—remain stalled at the stage of recording oral evidence from prosecution witnesses, highlighting systemic delays in trial proceedings. The court stressed that the right to a speedy trial, derived from Article 21 of the Constitution, must not be interpreted narrowly as a protection solely for the accused. The primary objective of starting this initiative is to prevent undertrials from remaining in jail indefinitely. The victims deserve swift justice as well. We have often observed that justice must not only be served to the accused. The bench observed that justice must also be served to the victims as well as their families and loved ones. Also Read: Supreme Court orders strict timeline for acid attack trials. 

 On Tuesday, the Supreme Court stressed that the constitutional right to a speedy trial aims to protect undertrials from prolonged detention while also delivering prompt justice to victims and their families, voicing concern over the extended delays in criminal trials in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The court further noted that the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh could have stepped in sooner. (Photo from HT file). While hearing a case concerning delays in a murder trial, a court bench expressed that it was “extremely disappointed” to learn that as many as 351 sessions trials in the UT have been pending for over five years, involving a total of 585 accused persons. The court was especially disturbed that most of these cases—235 in total—remain stalled at the stage of recording oral evidence from prosecution witnesses, highlighting systemic delays in trial proceedings. The court stressed that the right to a speedy trial, derived from Article 21 of the Constitution, must not be interpreted narrowly as a protection solely for the accused. The primary objective of starting this initiative is to prevent undertrials from remaining in jail indefinitely. The victims deserve swift justice as well. We have often observed that justice must not only be served to the accused. The bench observed that justice must also be served to the victims as well as their families and loved ones. Also Read: Supreme Court orders strict timeline for acid attack trials. 

 On Tuesday, the Supreme Court stressed that the constitutional right to a speedy trial aims to protect undertrials from prolonged detention while also delivering prompt justice to victims and their families, voicing concern over the extended delays in criminal trials in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The court further noted that the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh could have stepped in sooner. (Photo from HT file). While hearing a case concerning delays in a murder trial, a court bench expressed that it was “extremely disappointed” to learn that as many as 351 sessions trials in the UT have been pending for over five years, involving a total of 585 accused persons. The court was especially disturbed that most of these cases—235 in total—remain stalled at the stage of recording oral evidence from prosecution witnesses, highlighting systemic delays in trial proceedings. The court stressed that the right to a speedy trial, derived from Article 21 of the Constitution, must not be interpreted narrowly as a protection solely for the accused. The primary objective of starting this initiative is to prevent undertrials from remaining in jail indefinitely. The victims deserve swift justice as well. We have often observed that justice must not only be served to the accused. The bench observed that justice must also be served to the victims as well as their families and loved ones. Also Read: Supreme Court orders strict timeline for acid attack trials. 

 Rajasthan’s Food Safety Department destroyed about 1.5 lakh kilograms of expired food products after cracking down on a local distribution company that purchased Amul-branded items just before their sell-by date and sold them by tampering with the packaging labels, reports stated on Tuesday. A team of medical and health officials raided a warehouse in Jaipur, seizing nearly 12,000 cartons of expired goods, according to reports. (Photo courtesy of HT File/Representative Image). The operation came after a complaint lodged through the state government’s 181 helpline about suspicious activities at M/s Athlete Distributor in the Kho Nagorian area, according to The Times of India. Principal Secretary for Health, Gayatri Rathore, stated that the complaint was lodged via the department’s helpline. A team under the leadership of the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Jaipur-II conducted a raid on the warehouse, seizing approximately 12,000 cartons of expired products such as noodles, ketchup, mayonnaise, and energy drinks. The warehouse was running under suspicious circumstances, as neighbors noted that after 10 to 12 workers entered, the main gate stayed closed all day, food safety commissioner T Shubhmangala reportedly stated. Investigators also discovered bottles of thinner, acetone, and other chemicals used to remove printed dates from about 3,000 cartons, reported The Indian Express. Authorities also discovered 4,500 fresh Amul-branded cartons meant for repackaging the expired stock. Additional commissioner Bhagwat Singh claimed that the firm’s operator, Gagan Ahuja, “admitted” learning the technique of changing expiry dates to offload outdated items from YouTube videos. The expired goods were destroyed over four days. Twenty-seven trucks were needed to haul the goods to a dumping yard, at the distributor’s cost. Authorities were still probing how many, if any, of these items remained in circulation. The products were made by the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union in Gujarat and supplied by Advansis India Private Limited. Company representatives confirmed that expiry dates had been removed and stated that Ahuja typically bought near-expiry items at steep discounts, according to the TOI report. Amul has yet to respond to the news coverage. Officials noted that the warehouse has been sealed and the company prohibited from food business activities.