Bidar, March 14 -- Karnataka Minister Eshwara Khandre blamed the Centre for the ongoing shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, stating that the Union government should have anticipated the crisis arising from the ongoing West Asia conflict and taken preventive measures to ensure uninterrupted supply.

Speaking to reporters in Bidar, Khandre said the Centre, particularly Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, should have been better prepared for the situation as tensions in West Asia were already escalating. He stressed that timely planning could have helped prevent the disruption currently affecting businesses and consumers across several states.

"The central government is responsible for this. Mr Hardeep Singh Puri ...