Rourkela: A joint team, comprising officials from the Food and Civil Supplies Department, district administration, and police, seized 161 LPG gas cylinders from Sector-9 area of Rourkela city in Odisha’s Sundargarh district on Tuesday.
The huge number of gas cylinders was stored inside a garage in the residential area near Lagoon Park.
According to sources, the team raided the garage after receiving information about illegal hoarding and black marketing of gas cylinders. When the team reached there, they found the garage locked and had to break open the lock to gain entry. Inside, they found 161 commercial and domestic cylinders, out of which 22 were filled. No one was immediately found at the site, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend those responsible for the illegal stockpiling.
“Investigation will reveal the culprits who indulged in hoarding. The seized cylinders will be deposited with a gas agency,” a supply official told a local news channel.
Additional Tehsildar of Rourkela, who was present during the operation, warned of strict action to violators. “A case will be registered and strict action will be those found guilty,” he said.
This raid was part of a statewide crackdown on hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders, intensified over concerns of potential supply disruptions through key routes such as Strait of Hormuz due to conflict in West Asia. Officials across Odisha have been directed to prevent panic buying, diversion of subsidised domestic cylinders for commercial use, and illegal profiteering. Over 100 cylinders were seized during simultaneous raids across Jajpur district on Sunday. In Dhenkanal, 27 LPG cylinders were seized on Saturday. Koraput administration seized 51 cylinders from three locations on April 2. On March 25, around 120 cylinders of various gas companies were seized from a residential house in Jharpada area of Bhubaneswar.
