Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Mar 15: In a statewide enforcement drive, authorities have seized 316 domestic LPG cylinders that were being utilized for commercial purposes and registered cases against the offenders, the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs confirmed on March 14.
The department also stated that a case has been registered against a gas agency for the illegal refilling of LPG cylinders, according to an official statement.
“Acting on the directions of minister K H Muniyappa to take strict action against the misuse of domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes, cases have been registered under the Essential Commodities Act and 316 cylinders have been seized across the state,” the department release said.
Breakdown of seizures
The enforcement operations resulted in the following confiscations:
In a related development, authorities booked a gas agency in Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), Kolar district, for allegedly carrying out illegal LPG cylinder refilling operations.
Guidelines for priority supply
The department noted that as per guidelines issued by the government of India, 20% of commercial LPG cylinders are reserved for priority supply to essential establishments. These include hospitals, schools, educational institutions, airports, railway stations, bus stands, canteens, major temples distributing prasadam, government offices, old-age homes, and major private sector offices.
Supply statistics
Despite the enforcement actions, the department ensured that supply remained steady. On Saturday, a total of 3,86,363 domestic LPG cylinders (14.2 kg) and 6,371 commercial cylinders were distributed across Karnataka, maintaining the flow of fuel to households and essential institutions.