Chhatarpur (MP), March 13 Authorities have seized 38 domestic cooking gas cylinders during raids conducted over two days in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, in the Bundelkhand region bordering Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
The raids came amid reports of a shortage of cooking gas cylinders following the conflict in West Asia, which has disrupted global energy supplies, they said on Thursday.
Long queues have been reported outside several LPG agencies in the state. However, the Centre has asserted that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, or LPG in the country.
The raids were conducted after the Chhatarpur district administration asked officials to take strict action against black marketing, illegal storage, and misuse of domestic LPG cylinders.
In a recent action on Thursday, a joint team from the revenue and food departments seized 13 empty LPG cylinders from a water plant in Bilhari village in the Nowgong area, officials said.
The cylinders were being stored illegally and were being traded for commercial use, they said.
The raid was conducted under the leadership of Sub-Divisional Magistrate G S Patel, following instructions from in-charge district collector Namah Shivay Arjariya.
In another raid on Wednesday, officials seized 25 LPG cylinders from a house in Vishwanath Colony in Chhatarpur town.
District Food Officer Sitaram Kothare said authorities acted on a complaint about illegal storage of cylinders at the residence of a retired teacher, Shyamlal Ahirwar.
A team comprising the local tehsildar, naib tehsildar, and a food inspector raided the house and seized 25 cylinders, including 22 empty ones. Legal action has been initiated against the accused under the Petroleum Act, Kothare added.