WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH, 2026 INDIGO CEO RESIGNS epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard Pieter Elbers quit three months after massive flight cancellations caused public outrage and regulatory actions RSP CHIEF ‘DEVELOPMENT DIPLOMACY’ Rastriya Swatantra Party chief Rabi Lamichhane has said he looked forward to strengthening Indo-Nepal ties through “development diplomacy”. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI GAS-WHAT Restaurants, industries depending on commercial LPG hit amid panic buying; govt steps up domestic production, says more imports on R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi WITH LPG shortage fears gripping major cities, the government on Tuesday sought to reassure the public that arrangements have been made to meet domestic needs and that LPG production has been ramped up by 10%. However, reports said people were facing delays in booking and delivery LPG and LNG shipments from other countries have started arriving. We are now receiving more LPG cargoes Government sources Status watch From resizing menus to cutting down service hours and exploring the possibility to switch to electric ovens, the hotel industry is trying to find workarounds for commercial gas that costs a bomb due to the oil crisis Delhi: Long queues outside LPG agencies for refills; stocks depleting Punjab: Marriage palace owners, caterers hit big time; nonavailability of domestic cylinders reported Uttarakhand: Widespread anxiety over supply shortage Bihar: Supply curtailed, so delivery partially affected Assam: Protests in parts of state over low LPG availability, price hike Gujarat: Small eateries hit; services at some restaurants already halted due to LPG uncertainties Mumbai: Its 10,000 restaurants employing over 4 lakh people badly hit due to shortage of LPG cylinders Karnataka: Some hotels in Bengaluru cut menu, reduce service hours. Hoteliers paying more than double the cost for a commercial cylinder Kerala: Big drop in commercial LPG availability; 50% of hotels, restaurants could shut in the next three days Tamil Nadu: Few popular restaurant chains cut menu, reduce operational hours; industry seeks power tariff subsidy to switch to electric cooking Jharkhand: Panic buying of LPG and petrol, black-marketing of commercial cylinders Odisha: Restaurants switching to induction and tandoor; scramble to book advance quota of commercial cylinders by paying extra Chhattisgarh: Fleecing of domestic gas consumers in Raipur; supply running out in hotels, small eateries, tea stalls and cloud kitchens Andhra Pradesh: Panic booking of LPG cylinders; cities like Tirupati face commercial LPG pinch of LPG cylinders amid allegations of black-marketing of gas cylinders. Hospitality associations in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai flagged acute shortage in commercial LPG cylinders, warning that restaurants and hotels may face shutdowns if supplies are not restored forthwith. LPG retailers’ associations told this newspaper that the government abruptly discontinued commercial supplies with effect from March 8. It later resumed supplies to essential sectors like hospitals and educational institutions. Associations said while there is no shortage of LPG for households, uncertainty continues around commercial supplies. They requested LPG be made available to commercial establishments, after meeting household requirements. “Such supply can be strictly monitored through audit, finance and product trails, ensuring that LPG is supplied only to registered commercial customers and that the product is utilised for its intended purpose,” said Pawan Soni, general secretary Federa, tion of LPG Distributors of India. Petroleum ministry officials said the government is engaging with alternative suppliers to offset potential shortages caused by disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large portion of India’s LPG imports pass. India has already secured 20 very large gas carrier (VLGC) cargoes, equivalent to 1 million tonnes, from the US. The country requires 40 VLGC cargoes each month, meaning it is still short of 20 cargoes—roughly 2 million tonnes—to fully meet its monthly requirement. “We are receiving more LPG cargoes. LPG and LNG shipments from other countries have already started arriving,” a government source said. According to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, the total LPG production in India during April 2025 to January 2026 was 10.642 million metric tonnes (MMT), while it was 1.158 MMT in January 2026 alone. Now, efforts are on to increase domestic production. Meanwhile, Brent crude cooled to $91.9 on Tuesday a day after breaching , the $100-mark, while WTI crude fell to $88.33 per barrel.  J8.00  PAGES 12 `22.20 cr The airline faced disruptions during December 3-5, 2025, causing 2,507 flights to be cancelled, hitting 3 lakh passengers In January 2026, the DGCA directed the airline to furnish `50-cr bank guarantee to ensure long-term systemic corrections Co-founder and managing director Rahul Bhatia will manage the airline’s affairs till a new CEO is appointed In January 2026, DGCA slapped `22.20 crore penalties on IndiGo and warned Elbers and two other executives for non-compliance | P10 Union Cabinet eases FDI norms for China, neighbours with land border P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi IN a major boost to foreign direct investment, especially from China, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday amended Press Note 3 (PN3). The government has also provided for a definitive timeline for investments in critical sectors requiring approval under PN3. The decision, taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is meant to streamline investments that currently require government approval under Press Note 3 (2020) while safeguarding national interests. Under the revised guidelines, investments from landbordering countries with noncontrolling beneficial ownership of up to 10% will be permitted through the automatic route, subject to applicable sectoral caps and condi- `8.7 L cr approved for Jal Jeevan Mission The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the extension of Jal Jeevan Mission up to December 2028 with an enhanced outlay of `8.7 lakh crore for the rural drinking water supply project which will now shift focus from infrastructure creation to service delivery. The decision shifts the focus from infrastructure to citizen-centric service delivery supported by strong local governance and digital monitoring | P7 tions. Earlier, overseas firms with shareholders from these nations owning even a single share had to seek mandatory approval to invest in India in any sector. The beneficial ownership test will be applied at the level of the investor entity, using definitions aligned with the Prevention of Money Laundering Rules, 2003. The policy changes seek to address concerns raised by global investors and venture capital funds that the restrictions introduced during the pandemic were hampering capital flow. In April 2020, the government tightened FDI rules through Press Note 3 (2020) to prevent opportunistic takeovers of Indian firms during the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government in a state- `3.6K cr plan to link Jewar Airport with S Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi THE Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved a revised estimated capital cost of `3,630.77 crore for the construction of a greenfield elevated road corridor that will connect the upcoming Jewar Airport in Noida with the Delhi-Faridabad-BallabhgarhSohna spur of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway . I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the project would be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) and executed across the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. According to the minister, the approval of the revised cost will facilitate the development of an important transport link aimed at strengthening connectivity to the new international airport being developed at Jewar. The proposed corridor will have a total length of 31.42 km and is expected to provide direct, high-speed road connectivity from South Delhi as well as major urban centres such GREENFIELD ELEVATED ROAD CORRIDOR CCEA approves cost of `3,630.77 cr To connect Jewar International Airport in Noida with Delhi–Faridabad–Ballabhgarh– Sohna spur of Delhi–Mumbai Expressway Project to be executed across states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana Corridor will have a length of 31.42 km; 11 km will be developed as elevated highway Cost for elevated segment `689.24 cr Haryana to contribute `450 cr as Faridabad and Gurugram to the upcoming airport. Officials said the project would improve access to the airport and help enhance logistics efficiency across NCR. The corridor will intersect with several major transport infra, including Eastern Peripheral Expressway Yamuna , Expressway, and the Dedicated Freight Corridor. This inte- gration of multiple transport networks is expected to ensure seamless multimodal connectivity, thereby improving regional transportation efficiency and facilitating smoother movement of both passenger and freight traffic. Of the total project length, around 11 km will be developed as an elevated highway. This elevated stretch will form a crucial part of the greenfield connectivity between DNDBallabhgarh bypass and Jewar airport corridor linked to Delhi-Mumbai Expressway . The additional cost for constructing the elevated segment has been estimated at `689.24 crore. The Haryana government has agreed to contribute `450 crore towards this component of the project. The corridor passes through areas earmarked for urban expansion under the Faridabad Master Plan 2031. The government said the expressway is a strategic infrastructure project that will strengthen connectivity between the Jewar Airport and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway network. EXPRESS READ No demolition in Uttam Nagar: HC Several gas agencies in New Delhi say there is no immediate shortage and that refills were being distributed as usual. The anxiety is particularly visible among roadside food vendors who depend entirely on LPG for their business | SAYANTAN GHOSH Fear of LPG shortage triggers long queues outside gas agencies in city I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi LONG queues were seen outside several LPG gas agencies across the city on Tuesday amid fears of a possible disruption in cooking gas supply . People carrying empty cylinders gathered outside distribution centres early in the morning, hoping to secure a refill before stocks run out. At a gas agency in Patparganj, dozens waited in line, some saying they had arrived hours before the centre opened. “I came early because if gas finishes at home, we have no alternative. My income is dependent on the availability of a cylinder,” said a resident stand- ing in line with a cylinder, who runs a burger stall in Mayur Vihar, Phase II. A gas agency owner near Mata Sundri Lane said the demand has suddenly shot up since Monday evening. “We are not in a position to supply as much because LPG has to be strictly kept for domestic use, so we have to keep the stock for any critical time,” he said. Several gas agencies, however, said there was no immediate shortage and that refills were being distributed as usual. The anxiety is particularly visible among roadside food vendors who depend entirely on LPG for their business. “If I don’t get a cylinder, I cannot cook, and that means no income,” said a street vendor. Residents in Delhi’s rural belts and informal settlements are also a worried lot. Many of them lack registered LPG connections and share cylinders with neighbours or rely on local refilling arrangements. “People like us depend on others for refills. I had bought a small cylinder last week for `600 and now have to use it for two more weeks to survive,” said a resident of Kalyanpuri, near East Vinod Nagar. Ex-crew posts cockpit video Bill to curb forced conversion cleared The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed MCD not to undertake any demolition action against two houses of persons accused of murder of a man in Uttam Nagar on holi till it hears the matter on March 11. | P3 The Air India has started an internal investigation regarding a video showing a former cabin crew member seated inside the cockpit of an airborne aircraft. The video has been widely shared on social media. | P4 The cabinet meet chaired by CM Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday evening okayed draft of the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 to prohibit religious conversions carried out through force, allurement, fraudulent means. | P8 ment has said that the revised framework would improve clarity for investors and support India’s manufacturing push, particularly in sectors linked to electronics and renewable energy supply chains. The Committee of Secretaries will have the authority to revise the list of sectors eligible for the 60-day clearance. The Cabinet has also introduced an expedited approval mechanism, under which investment proposals from such countries in specified manufacturing sectors will be processed within 60 days. The fasttrack window will initially apply to capital goods, electronic capital goods, electronic components, and polysilicon and ingot-wafer sectors. In these cases, the investee company must remain majorityowned and controlled by resident Indian citizens. Kejriwal reply on ED’s plea in excise policy case sought U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi THE Delhi High Court on Monday sought response from senior AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging certain adverse remarks made by the trial court against the probe agency while discharging them in the excise policy case lodged by the CBI. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said the trial court observations prima facie appeared to be general in nature. The judge snubbed the counsel from both the sides, saying, “Nobody can stop me from passing an order. No one can dictate to me what order to pass. I will pass an order what I think is right...” The judge’s remarks came after Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, urged the court to pass an order that the trial court observations may not be relied upon in any further proceedings, and the counsel from the opposite side protested against any interim order. The judge asked the accused to reply to the ED’s plea seeking to expunge “unwarranted” remarks made against it by the trial court by March 19, the next date of hearing. “These are general observations and have nothing to do with the case. He (the trial court judge) was not saying it in the context of this case… He thought that it was an unfair investigation, so he made observations as some judges, including me, generally do,” the court said. Gogoi, Rijiju in war of words over Speaker’s conduct J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi THE Lok Sabha witnessed a heated political showdown on Tuesday as the House took up an Opposition resolution seeking removal of Speaker Om Birla, kicking off a ten-hour debate marked by sharp exchanges between the treasury benches and the Opposition. The motion was introduced by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, but it was Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi who led the charge. Gogoi accused Birla of partisan conduct, alleging that the Speaker had repeatedly interrupted LoP Rahul Gandhi and stopped him from raising key issues. “There was an expectation that the chair would be neutral. But research of uncorrected versions would show the number of times the LoP was interrupted,” Gogoi said. “While he was on his feet, another MP was called to speak. Is this the parliamentary tradition we want to show?” The Congress MP from Jorhat alleged that microphones were being used as a tool to silence opposition voices. Citing specific instances, Gogoi said Cong ress MP Shashi Tharoor had his microphone switched off during a speech earlier this year. “It is said the Opposition must have its say but how can we say any, thing if the mic is switched off,” he asked. The Congress leader further accused the Speaker of making “baseless” allegations about women opposition MPs. The government rejected the allegations. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the Speaker and accused the Opposition of under mining parliamentary norms. “The Speaker is unbiased. Yes, he comes from the ruling party—we all know that. But when he sits in the Chair, his role is impartial,” Rijiju said. “Now the Opposition also wants to decide the role of the Speaker. This is extremely unfortunate.” | P7