Pinarayi Vijayan
| Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the emerging “fuel shock” due to the tensions in West Asia had raised the spectre of crippling shortages of fuel and cooking gas.
In a statement in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday (March 11, 2026), Mr Vijayan demanded that the Centre cushion the burden of spiralling cooking gas prices by subsidising the fuel.
Mr Vijayan said the Centre’s decision to hike cooking gas prices, including for households, would exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis and upend family budgets.
He said the Centre had limited the booking for domestic connections. The scarcity of commercial cooking gas has crippled the food industry.
Hotels and restaurants were shuttering. Commuters and hosteliers are finding food costly and scarce. The fuel crisis had come at an inopportune time for Kerala, given the holy month of Ramzan, he said.
LDF to protest against ‘apathy’
Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary M.V. Govindan said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) would stage protests across Kerala to spotlight the Centre’s “apathy” towards ordinary families.
Meanwhile, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil told reporters that the government had convened a meeting of oil company representatives.
“LPG suppliers aver that they have sufficient cooking gas stock to overcome any scarcity, and the shortage was more due to the Centre’s rationing of commercial cooking gas cylinders”, he said.
Published – March 11, 2026 02:06 pm IST
