In a continued crackdown on the diversion and illegal trading of subsidised LPG cylinders, the Civil Supplies Enforcement Squad on Friday conducted a surprise verification at an eviction site in Sampur, Ward No. 23, under Bharatpur Police Station limits.
During the inspection, officials recovered a total of **62 LPG cylinders** — comprising 51 numbers of the standard 14.2 kg domestic cylinders, 6 numbers of 2 kg cylinders, and 5 numbers of 5 kg cylinders. All the cylinders were found completely empty, and notably, no claimant or owner was present at the spot to take responsibility.
The suspicious circumstances have led authorities to believe that the cylinders were likely being used for an **illegal LPG business**, possibly involving hoarding, diversion of domestic subsidised gas for commercial use, or black marketing — all in clear contravention of government guidelines and the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order.
The seizure was carried out in the presence of Commissionerate Police personnel and officials from the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA). Necessary legal proceedings have been initiated, and further investigation is underway to trace the owners or operators behind the suspected racket.
