Fears over shortage fuel LPG rackets | Ahmedabad News
As the West Asia conflict triggers concerns over global fuel supply and availability of LPG, authorities in Gujarat have stepped up vigilance against black marketeering and illegal handling of domestic gas cylinders. A series of cases in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Bharuch highlight how fears over global disruptions are leading to violations. In Ahmedabad, Bodakdev police registered a case against a 50-year-old man for alleged illegal refilling of domestic LPG cylinders in Thaltej, endangering lives and violating provisions of the Essential Commodities Act. The complaint was filed late on Monday by a head constable after a tip-off.
A joint team of police and govt officials reached Bharwadvas in Thaltej around 5.15pm and found the accused near an autorickshaw allegedly refilling smaller cylinders from larger ones using a metal pipe without any safety measures. Officials recovered seven domestic LPG cylinders, a weighing scale and delivery receipts. Several cylinders were found underweight, indicating that gas had been siphoned off. The accused is said to have admitted to selling gas from filled cylinders for personal gain. Police said the cylinders were meant for delivery to customers, but gas was being illegally extracted before distribution. All items, including cylinders, refilling tools and the autorickshaw, were seized.In Bharuch’s Jhagadia town, 956 gas cylinders have gone missing from a Bharat Petroleum dealership. According to the complaint filed, the owner of Nisarg Gas Agency, Digvijaysinh Valvi, reported a loss of over Rs 17.57 lakh due to the discrepancy.Valvi, a Surat resident, operates the agency of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders. Police said the shortage was noticed during a stock verification at the godown on Monday. The audit revealed that 956 domestic cylinders, each weighing 14.2kg, were missing.The agency’s warehouse keeper, Piyush Gamit, who was questioned, told the owner that some cylinders had not been returned by customers, while others had been sold by him.In Vadodara, the district supply department issued a notice to a gas agency in the Sama area after irregularities were found during an inspection. Officials said the agency was bypassing the prescribed home delivery system by distributing cylinders directly from its godown while still charging delivery fees, amounting to overcharging and violation of rules. Legal action has been initiated under the Essential Commodities Act. A snack shop owner was booked for illegally storing and using LPG cylinders at his shop in Vadodara’s Maneja area. Police seized 10 filled and 18 empty cylinders after the owner failed to produce valid purchase bills.
