Dhenkanal: In a major enforcement drive against illegal LPG trading, authorities seized 27 LPG cylinders during a raid near Sasan Chhak in Odisha’s Dhenkanal town on Saturday.
A joint team from the Food & Supplies Department, district administration, and police acted on a tip-off about unauthorised sales and conducted the raid at a local gas agency. Three commercial LPG cylinders and 24 domestic cylinders, 21 of which were empty, were seized and the owner of the agency was detained for questioning.
“We received information about gas cylinders being sold illegally. We have seized the cylinders and appropriate action will be taken,” Dhenkanal sub-collector Bibudh Gadanayak told the media.
The district administration has warned of strict measures under the Essential Commodities Act against anyone violating norms related to LPG storage and sale.
This raid was part of a statewide crackdown on LPG black marketing and hoarding, intensified amid concerns over potential supply disruptions through key routes like the Strait of Hormuz due to tensions in West Asia. Officials across Odisha have been directed to prevent panic buying, diversion of subsidised domestic cylinders for commercial use, and illegal profiteering.
On April 2, Koraput administration seized 51 cylinders during raids at three different locations – two establishments in Jeypore town and one at Bariniput. A day prior to that, 102 domestic LPG cylinders were seized from hotels, roadside eateries and other commercial establishments during coordinated raids by the district administration in Cuttack. These apart, around 120 cylinders of various gas companies were seized from a residential house near Ganesh Mandap in Jharpada area of Bhubaneswar on March 25.
