Authorities have seized numerous LPG cylinders from black-market sellers following a supply crisis triggered by the conflict in West Asia.
As many as 741 LPG cylinders were seized from 102 locations across Chhattisgarh. At the same time, over 100 cylinders were recovered from a black market seller in South Mumbai.
With the LPG cylinder supply crunch, teams from the Food Department and district administration in Chhattisgarh have been conducting surprise inspections at various locations to curb hoarding of domestic cylinders.
According to the authorities, 741 cylinders have been seized from 102 locations across the state, including Raipur and Bilaspur districts.
Police in Jhansi have recovered 524 stolen LPG cylinders, valued at over ₹17 lakh, and have arrested several individuals in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, a joint operation by the Controller of Food Rationing squad and officers from Office No. 21 targeted the illegal stockpiling and sale of gas cylinders at inflated prices. The raid took place at Suraj Vallabhdas Chawl on Ganpatrao Kadam Road, located at Worli Naka, Mumbai.
During the operation, authorities seized 64 filled 4-kg and 19 filled 12-kg cylinders from the Super Gas Company. Also recovered were 64 HP Gas cylinders (six filled and 58 empty 5-kg units), alongside a further 25 empty cylinders of various sizes, ranging from 2 kg to 12 kg.
To curb panic following the LPG supply shortage, the Gujarat government has decided to fast-track new PNG (Piped Natural Gas) connections for restaurants, hotels, and educational institutions within existing distribution zones.
The LPG crisis has forced a return to traditional cooking methods across the country. In urban hubs, hotels are switching to firewood stoves and streamlining their menus to cope with the shortage. In Hyderabad, migrants are reviving old pump stoves for their daily needs, while in rural Haryana, many households have turned once again to 'Kande' (cow dung cakes) for cooking.