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Telangana Seizes 3,699 Illegal LPG Cylinders in Crackdown on Hoarding

The Telangana civil supplies department has seized 3,699 illegal domestic LPG cylinders and 70 small cylinders in a major crackdown on hoarding and black-marketing from March 12 to April 3. Officials have filed 1,275 cases and registered 216 FIRs, with the total value of seized property estimated at Rs 1.10 crore. While authorities assure adequate domestic LPG stocks, the state is grappling with a severe shortage of auto LPG, creating hardship for autorickshaw drivers. Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has written to the Union Petroleum Minister requesting urgent additional supply to meet the daily deficit of 55 metric tonnes.

Key Points: Telangana Seizes 3,699 Illegal LPG Cylinders

  • 3,699 domestic LPG cylinders seized
  • Property worth Rs 1.10 crore confiscated
  • 1,275 cases filed under Essential Commodities Act
  • State faces auto LPG shortage impacting autorickshaws
2 min read

Telangana: 3,699 domestic LPG cylinders seized since March 12​

Telangana civil supplies dept seizes 3,699 domestic LPG cylinders worth Rs 1.1 crore in anti-hoarding drive since March 12. 1,275 cases filed.

"any misuse would attract stringent action - Civil Supplies Department"

Hyderabad, April 3

Acting against hoarding and black-marketing of LPG, the Telangana civil supplies department has so far seized 3,699 illegal domestic LPG cylinders, officials said on Friday.​

The department also seized 70 small cylinders. All the cylinders have been seized from March 12 to April 3.​

According to an official statement, the value of seized property is Rs. 1.10 crore.​

A total of 1,275 cases have been filed under Section 6A of the Essential Commodities Act. Officials said 216 FIRs have been registered.​

Under section 6A of the Essential Commodities Act, district Collectors are empowered to confiscate essential commodities if hoarding and black marketing are suspected.​

Authorities are taking action in cases where domestic LPG cylinders are found to be used for commercial purposes.​

The civil supplies department has already assured people that there is no shortage of domestic LPG but warned that any misuse would attract stringent action.​

Consumers have also been advised against panic booking, as this disrupts the smooth functioning of the delivery system.​

On average, the public-sector oil marketing companies Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) supply about 2.15 lakh LPG cylinders in the state every day.​

Civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has already clarified that petroleum product stocks are more than adequate for three months. His clarification came after panic buying of petrol and diesel at the outlets across the state a few days ago.​

However, the state is facing a shortage of auto LPG, causing severe hardships to autorickshaw drivers.​

On March 31, he sent a letter to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, requesting an urgent additional supply of auto LPG to the state to overcome the daily deficit.​

He wrote that the state is currently facing a daily shortage of 55 MTs.​

Stating that the auto LPG segment in the state has been significantly impacted, Reddy wrote that this has hit nearly one lakh autorickshaws plying on LPG, disrupting public transport services and affecting the livelihoods of auto drivers and their families.​

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While this crackdown is necessary, the real issue is the auto LPG shortage. My auto driver uncle is struggling to find fuel. The government must address this urgently. Public transport is getting affected and livelihoods are at stake.
R
Rahul R
Rs. 1.10 crore worth of cylinders seized! That's a huge amount. Shows the scale of the illegal trade. But I have a question - what happens to the people who booked these cylinders in good faith? Are they left without a refill now? The system needs more transparency.
A
Anjali F
The advisory against panic booking is very important. In my society, people book cylinders even when they are half full, just because they heard a rumor. This clogs the system for everyone. We need to be more responsible as citizens.
D
David E
Interesting to see the scale of enforcement. 1,275 cases filed is a significant number. It's good that the Essential Commodities Act is being used effectively here. Hope this acts as a deterrent for others thinking of hoarding.
K
Kavya N
The article mentions cylinders being used for commercial purposes. Many small hotels and dhabas do this to save costs, but it's wrong. They should get commercial connections. This crackdown should be continuous, not just a one-time drive.
M
Michael C

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