31 domestic LPG cylinders seized

Baddi, May 17
As many as 31 domestic LPG cylinders were seized from a store at Malkhumajra near Baddi by a team of officials from the police and Food and Civil Supplies (FCS) Department today.

The officials comprising FCS Inspector Narinder Dhiman and police Inspector Uday Singh raided a store which was rented by Sunil Kumar and seized 31 domestic cylinders stored there.

SP, Baddi, Gurudev Chand Sharma said initial investigations revealed that Sunil had bought the cylinders in black at Rs 700 and he sold these at Rs 600. He managed to buy four to five such cylinders every day from drivers of various oil companies who transported these cylinders to other places.

Indane company has its gas plant at Baddi and Bharat Petroleum its depot here from where cylinders are supplied to Punjab, Mandi, Shimla and elsewhere. Initial investigations have revealed that drivers of their vehicles often sold a few cylinders to agents by refilling a few empty cylinders from the filled ones.

There seems to be a well-organised network operating in the area. Hence, Sunil, who originally belonged to Punjab, has been thriving on this trade. He resides at Jharmajri near Baddi. He has been arrested under the Essential Commodities Act.

Dhiman said such practices created a shortage of domestic cylinders in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh area which was receiving barely 18,000 cylinders per month as against the demand for 33,000 cylinders