Bhubaneswar: In a major crackdown on illegal storage and black marketing of cooking gas, the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department has seized 5,308 LPG cylinders across Odisha and arrested five persons.
Acting on complaints and surveillance inputs, enforcement teams conducted statewide inspections across all 30 districts, covering LPG agencies and other storage points suspected of irregularities. The coordinated drive led to the seizure of a large number of cylinders allegedly being hoarded or stored illegally for commercial misuse, officials said on Tuesday.
As many as 2,746 premises were inspected during the ongoing enforcement operation. These checks were carried out by district-level supply officials who have been reporting daily updates to the department.
In connection with the violations, authorities have registered 397 cases under the Essential Commodities Act and lodged 31 FIRs across different police stations. Five persons have also been arrested for their alleged involvement in black marketing and illegal storage of LPG cylinders.