Responding to a question tabled in the Assembly by BJP MLA Pradeepsinh Jadeja, the minister said domestic consumers in the state had panicked a few months ago due to rumours that the Centre proposed to increase the prices of petroleum products. He added that his department was constantly on the vigil to check any artificial shortage of LPG cylinders.

According to Patel, last year,

enforcement officials from his department carried out 2,129 raids across the state, seizing over 6,000 unaccounted gas cylinders. Besides, 34 police cases had also been registered against the parties concerned.

Replying to a question posted by Dhanji Sendhani, Patel said although there was no provision in the Constitution in this regard, the government was providing jobs on compassionate grounds to the kith and kin of its employees who had died during the course of their employment. Relatives of the deceased employees were being recruited into government services on a fixed salary of Rs 2,500 per month and efforts are on to deal with the pending applications.

The minister, who also looks after the Rural Development department, told Ami Chavda of the Congress that the Centre had allocated Rs 530.55 crore in 2006-07 and another Rs 357.50 crore in 2007-08 to implement the various rural development schemes in the state, against which the government could spend Rs 476.77 crore and Rs 319.05 crore, respectively.