Delhi government cracks down on illegal LPG refilling units

New Delhi: In a crackdown on people involved in illegal filling of cooking gas, Delhi government on Thursday raided 164 premises across the city and seized 293 cylinders.

FIRs have been lodged against 32 persons allegedly involved in illegal filling of LPG from big cylinders into small cylinders and selling illegal small size cylinders.

"The business of filling LPG from big cylinders to small cylinders is very dangerous and may lead to explosions and fire accidents. The small cylinders which are illegal and are locally made are also dangerous. Such premises also abet in siphoning off of LPG from the domestic gas cylinders and cheating of consumers by supplying underweight cylinders", SS Yadav, Commissioner (Food Supplies & Consumer Affairs) said on Thursday.

"The department has seized 277 cylinders so far and FIRs under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 have also been lodged against 31 offenders. On conviction, the accused may face imprisonment upto a period of 7 years," The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order 2000 issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 bans unauthorized possession, supply and consumption of LPG, as well as unauthorized storage and transport of LPG.

There is also ban on sale or distribution of LPG cylinders below or in excess of the standard weight. Yadav said that the department received information that a number of premises in the city are indulging in the business of illegal filling of LPG from the bigger cylinders into the non standardized small cylinders and selling of such LPG cylinders illegally.

The areas where raids were conducted include Sant Nagar, Wazirpur, Burari, Raza Pur, Shahbad Daulat Pur, East Vinod Nagar, Mehrauli, Kapashera, Kalander Colony, Dilshad Gardern, Gokul Puri, Seema Puri, Dilshad Garden, Mandoli, Sadar Bazaar, Ballimaran and Tagore Garden.

This is second such operation by Delhi government within a month. Delhi government earlier had conducted similar operation across the city on June 5 and had seized 315 LPG cylinders and had registered 34 criminal cases under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.