LPG black marketeers in UP’s Meerut to face FIR, warns DSO

The department has also launched a district-wide inspection drive to prevent illegal sale and hoarding of domestic LPG cylinders

Amid alleged shortage of domestic LPG cylinders across Uttar Pradesh, Meerut district administration has stepped up monitoring of gas agencies as local food and civil supplies department on Thursday issued a warning that those found involved in blacking marketing of LPG cylinders will be booked.

District supply officer Vinay Kumar Singh said adequate LPG stock is available at Meerut agencies and that distribution is being carried out with full transparency. (For Representation)

District supply officer (DSO) Vinay Kumar Singh said adequate LPG stock is available at Meerut agencies and that distribution is being carried out with full transparency. He added that inspection teams have been deployed tehsil-wise to monitor agencies and prevent irregularities. “Anyone found involved in LPG black marketing will face an FIR,” Singh said.

The department has also launched a district-wide inspection drive to prevent illegal sale and hoarding of domestic LPG cylinders. Officials said special teams were formed on Wednesday across urban and rural areas to check gas agencies and their warehouses. The teams also interacted with consumers to verify whether LPG cylinders were being supplied properly.

The administration’s action comes as residents face difficulties in booking domestic LPG cylinders due to a server failure in gas companies’ online system. Because of the technical glitch, consumers have been unable to book cylinders online, resulting in long queues outside gas agencies.

To manage the situation, gas agencies have begun distributing previously booked cylinders by creating temporary distribution points in various colonies. Instead of home delivery, cylinders are being transported in small vehicles and handed over to consumers according to their booking slips. Such distribution points were set up in several areas, including Sharda Road, near Gymkhana Ground, Garh Road, Shastri Nagar and Jagriti Vihar.

The situation has also affected the hospitality sector. With the supply of commercial LPG cylinders suspended, hotels, dhabas and restaurants in the city and nearby areas are struggling to operate. Many establishments reported that they were unable to prepare food due to the unavailability of commercial gas.

Crowds have also increased at gas agencies due to the mandatory e-KYC verification requirement for older LPG connections. A large number of consumers had not completed the verification process, resulting in their connections becoming temporarily inactive. As fears of a gas shortage spread, many residents rushed to agencies to reactivate their connections. However, the ongoing server outage has prevented agencies from restoring these connections immediately.

Officials said the online booking issue remained unresolved on Wednesday, preventing consumers from booking cylinders even after the mandated 25-day interval. In view of the problem, gas agencies have been instructed to record bookings in offline registers and provide cylinders accordingly.