Hyderabad: Raids have been conducted at several eateries over the misuse of domestic LPG cylinders. During the raids, authorities have also seized cylinders.
The action was taken by Civil Supplies officials in the Balanagar area on Tuesday, March 17. It was based on inputs about the use of domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes. The raids were led by Assistant Supply Officer G Kalyan.
Raids at Hyderabad eateries over domestic LPG cylinders misuse
Teams conducted checks at multiple locations, including Chintal, Shahpurnagar, Suraram, and Gajulararam. During the inspections, officials visited tiffin centres, roadside eateries, and fast food stalls.
They found that several establishments were using domestic LPG cylinders instead of commercial ones for cooking.
As part of the drive, a total of 38 LPG cylinders were seized from different outlets.
Officials said such actions will continue to prevent misuse of domestic LPG and ensure proper supply for household consumers.
Panic bookings
On the one hand, raids have been conducted on eateries for using domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes; on the other, Hyderabad is witnessing a huge jump in gas bookings due to panic buying by consumers.
The bookings per day increased from 70 thousand to 2.5–3 lakh.
The surge in domestic LPG cylinder bookings in Hyderabad is due to panic caused by the war in West Asia, which started after the United States and Israel launched joint air and missile strikes on Iran, targeting military and infrastructure sites in cities including Tehran.
Govt acts against hoarding
The government on Tuesday, March 17, said it has conducted 12,000 raids and seized more than 15,000 LPG cylinders to curb hoarding amid rumours of shortages and panic bookings, while maintaining that there is no supply shortage across the country.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry’s Joint Secretary, Marketing and Oil Refinery, Sujata Sharma, said LPG availability remains adequate despite increased demand.
She said around 70,000 bookings were made on Monday due to panic buying and appealed to consumers to avoid unnecessary bookings and consider alternative arrangements where feasible.
