MAPUSA
In a major crackdown on unsafe and unauthorised storage of cooking gas, officials of the Civil Supplies Department, Legal Metrology and the Police seized 164 LPG cylinders during a joint raid in Saligao on Monday evening.
Five persons, all from Rajasthan, have been arrested in this connection.
The operation, carried out around 7.35 pm, uncovered a stockpile of cylinders kept without authorization and in violation of safety norms.
The raid team was led by Assistant Director of Civil Supplies, Deepa Fulrari, along with inspectors and support staff from the Civil Supplies and Legal Metrology departments.
A police contingent accompanied the officials to assist in enforcement.
During the inspection, authorities seized 42 sealed LPG cylinders and 122 empty or illegal ones. Officials confirmed that several of the cylinders were counterfeit and being stored in gross violation of safety regulations.
An official of the civil supplies said the raid was part of the department’s ongoing drive to curb black marketing and illegal storage of LPG.
“Such practices not only deprive genuine consumers of timely supplies but also pose a serious fire and explosion hazard to the public. Strict action will be taken against those responsible,” he said.
Legal Metrology officials also highlighted the risk to unsuspecting households who may end up using substandard or counterfeit cylinders. “These are dangerous commodities. Unauthorised storage in residential areas can lead to disasters. We urge citizens to immediately report such activity to authorities,” an inspector noted.
