Massia demands restoration of LPG supply to industries

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The Central Government’s decision to reserve propane and butane gas exclusively for domestic LPG production has resulted in the immediate suspension of LPG supply meant for industrial use. Entrepreneurs have warned that this move could seriously affect several industries in the city’s industrial areas. They urged the government to restore gas supply to industries immediately, otherwise many units may be forced to shut down, which could severely impact the industrial supply chain. These concerns were raised during a meeting held on Tuesday at the hall of Marathwada Association of Small Scale Industries and Agriculture (Massia in Waluj MIDC.

The meeting on the gas crisis was chaired by Massia President Arjun Gaikwad and attended by a large number of entrepreneurs from different industrial sectors. Gaikwad said that Massia has already written to the government, stressing that LPG supply is a crucial component for maintaining uninterrupted production processes in industries.

It may be noted that the government halted commercial gas supply due to the war-like situation in Gulf countries. LPG gas is widely used in powder coating units, and because the supply has been stopped, some powder coating units in the region reportedly shut down operations from Tuesday itself.

The meeting was attended by former Massia president Kiran Jagtap, vice presidents Manish Agrawal and Rahul Mogle, secretary Sachin Gayake, treasurer Sarjerao Salunke, along with Rajesh Mandhani, Ajay Gandhi and many other entrepreneurs.

Immediate shift to alternative fuels not possible

Entrepreneurs also discussed possible alternatives to LPG such as diesel, electricity, CNG gas and other energy sources. However, they pointed out that many industrial production processes are completely dependent on LPG, making it practically impossible to switch to alternative fuels immediately.