To curb black marketing and illegal sale, 17,581 raids and inspections have been conducted since March 12 till now
33 FIRs have been registered against LPG distributors, 189 FIRs have been registered in other cases and 17 people have been arrested
Apart from this, prosecution action has also been taken against 224 people across the state till now
Presently, stock of about 91 thousand kilolitres of petrol and 1.15 lakh kilolitres of diesel is available in the state
Lucknow, March 31:With CM Yogi Adityanath’s stern warning to hoarders and strict action against rumour mongers, officials hit the ground, ending the artificial fuel crisis; petrol pumps return to normal as raids at 17,000 locations lead to 224 cases filed across Uttar Pradesh.
Given the ongoing war in the Gulf countries, disruptions to the regular supply of LPG, petrol, and diesel were expected, but the government’s sincere efforts have ensured adequate availability of these essential commodities. Amidst all this, hoarders and middlemen found an opportunity to profit from the crisis. Rumors of an artificial crisis fueled the market, and some political parties also began supporting these rumor mongers. Consequently, long lines formed at petrol pumps in many parts of the state, and a perceived LPG crisis also began to emerge.
Consequently, the Uttar Pradesh government has initiated strict monitoring of petrol, diesel, and LPG. More than 17,000 raids have been conducted so far. During this period, 33 FIRs were registered against LPG distributors, while in other cases, 189 FIRs were registered and 17 people were arrested. Furthermore, legal action has been taken against 224 people.
Following directives issued at the Chief Secretary level, the administration is active in all districts, and district supply officers and local administration officials are conducting regular inspections to ensure timely access to gas cylinders and fuel for consumers. There are 12,888 petrol pumps operating in the state. Thousands of kiloliters of fuel were sold between March 27 and 29. Currently, the state has a stock of approximately 91,000 kiloliters of petrol and 115,000 kiloliters of diesel. It is worth noting that 1 kiloliter equals 1,000 liters. Therefore, the government has appealed to people not to panic and stockpile fuel.
Similarly, cylinders are being supplied to consumers as per bookings through the state’s 4,107 gas distributors, and sufficient stock is available. The government has also emphasized expanding the City Gas Distribution (CGD) network. In a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary, instructions were given to expedite the resolution of pending permits and issue more PNG connections. The central government has also authorized an additional 20 percent allocation of commercial LPG cylinders from March 23.
A 24-hour control room has been established in the Food Commissioner’s office to monitor the supply system. In addition, control rooms are active in all districts, where the situation is being continuously monitored. The government maintains that there is adequate availability of petrol, diesel, and LPG in the state, and strict action will continue to be taken against any black marketing or hoarding.