Thrissur, Kerala: The opening of the Thrissur Pooram exhibition took an unexpected turn as concerns over the ongoing cooking gas shortage were raised during the inauguration. The event began with prayers seeking relief from war tensions in West Asia.

Cochin Devaswom Board President K Ravindran, District Panchayat President Mary Thomas, and other officials highlighted the difficulties faced by residents due to the LPG crisis. They appealed to Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi, also the Thrissur MP, who was present at the ceremony, to intervene.

Ravindran noted the impact on temple annadanams (food offerings), stating that the annadanam at Thriprayar temple had been disrupted for several days. Mary Thomas highlighted the struggles of residents in flats who cannot cook with traditional hearths, urging the minister to address this issue.

Paramekkavu Devaswom Secretary G Rajesh explained that the minister had arranged 40 cylinders for Paramekkavu temple needs and 10 cylinders daily for funeral rites at Paramekkavu Shanthi Ghat Crematorium.

He added that Minister Gopi had assured the allocation of 10 cylinders daily to feed visitors and stall operators arriving from other states for the exhibition.

Minister stresses responsibility and public cooperation

Minister Suresh Gopi responded, warning against politicising the issue. He clarified that the gas shortage stems from the war in West Asia, not government mismanagement.

“As part of measures to tackle the crisis, restrictions on LPG use have been implemented in hotels and community kitchens. This is not caused by us; the war in West Asia has triggered it. Similar problems have occurred in previous years,” he said, noting that no previous administrations or Prime Ministers had been blamed.

“All responsibilities have been assigned to the Chief Minister, who is handling them properly. Any further lapses will be the responsibility of the CM and the 14 district collectors,” Gopi added.

He further suggested that if Thriprayar temple faces shortages, representatives should notify the district collector. He called for public cooperation during the crisis.

During the felicitation speech, Chembukavu Councillor Joy Bastin Chacko apologised for the unexpected political discussion at an occasion such as the inauguration.