Bhubaneswar: In a major crackdown on the illegal hoarding and black marketing of domestic LPG cylinders, the Khordha district Supplies de partment seized 229 cylinders during a raid at Kalinga Nagar under the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The raid was conducted at an abandoned asbestos house be longing to one Basanta near Bada Sahu Chhak. Apart from the cylinders, officials also seized two motors allegedly used for refilling gas, pressure pipes, cylinder caps and plastic seals bearing the names of different oil marketing companies.
Of the 229 seized cylinders, 90 belonged to Indian Oil Corporation (Indane), 38 to Bharat Gas and 101 to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL). The cylinders of various oil marketing companies had allegedly been stored illegally for black marketing purposes.
According to sources, res idents of the area had been facing difficulties in getting domestic LPG cylinders for quite some time, with complaints of irregular availability being reported. Taking serious note of the complaints, the district Supplies department carried out the raid following the advice and directions of Khordha Collector Amrit Ruturaj.
The seized cylinders have been handed over to the respective authorised distributors, including Soumya Indane of Indian Oil Corporation, Pramod Bharat Gas of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Lingaraj Gas Agency of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).
Officials suspect that an unscrupulous trader may have collected LPG cylinders from various gas distributors and consumers and stored them with the intention of selling them in the open market at inflated prices.
Khordha District Supplies Officer Gyanendra Mishra said an investigation is underway to ascertain whether any gas distributors were involved in the alleged illegal trade. The raid was conducted under the direct supervision of Mishra.
Additional Supplies Officer Rohit Dash, Assistant Supplies Officers Himanshu Sahu and Himanshu Sekhar Dutta, an Assistant Supplies Officer from Khordha Municipality, Supplies Inspectors Hiranya Kumar Dash and Ashok Kumar Sahu, along with officers of the Commis sionerate Police, participated in the operation.