District admn seizes 361 illegal LPG cylinders in Shimla

The Shimla district administration has seized three vehicles with 361 illegal LPG cylinders from a gas agency office near in Shanan area of the town.

District Magistrate Anupam Kashyap said on a tip-off, Additional District Magistrate (Law and Order) Pankaj Sharma, along with District Controller Food Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs Department, raided the gas agency.

Four cylinders weighing 12 kg each and one cylinder weighing 14.2 kg were found in the agency office, while 23 empty cylinders were found in a vehicle. Besides, 240 filled cylinders (weighing 21 kg each) were found in a vehicle coming from Petro Gas Energy India Limited, Ludhiana, for supply to Shanan, Rohru and Kotkhai areas. Kashyap said despite being authorised as super stockist to store and sell these cylinders, the gas agency did not have an authorised warehouse from the department concerned for storage of cylinders.

Also, the gas company supplied gas to an unauthorised dealer in violation of LPG (Regulation of Distribution) Order, 2000, and Gas Cylinder Rules, 2016. The three vehicles and 240 filled (21 kg), 116 empty (21 kg), four empty (12 kg) and one empty cylinder (14.2 kg) and 35 pressure regulators have been seized.

An inspection was also done in the Rohru subdivision, where teams of the police and Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs Department seized 11 illegal cylinders.

Kashyap said strict action was being taken as these cylinders were being supplied to hotels and dhabas.