Raichur, April 4 -- Thousands of autorickshaw drivers in Raichur and surrounding districts have been forced into gruelling, hours-long wait times at refuelling stations this week as rumours of a severe LPG shortage sweep through Northern Karnataka.

The panic, largely fueled by the closure of several private outlets and global supply chain disruptions linked to the ongoing West Asia crisis, has seen "serpentine" queues stretching past city landmarks.

While the state government and major Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) like IndianOil have assured the public of adequate stock and scaled-up distribution, the disparity between government-fixed rates and hiked private prices continues to trigger protests among the driver community, whose da...