Bhopal, March 12 (AHN) Amid growing concern over the shortage and restricted supply of LPG cylinders due to the war in West Asia, incidents of black marketing of cooking gas are becoming rampant in Madhya Pradesh despite the administration issuing instructions to prevent illegal supply.​

One such case of illegal refilling and black marketing of LPG cylinders was exposed by local residents in Bhopal’s Gandhi Nagar area, following which the district administration took prompt action.​

Acting on information, a team of officials from the Food and Civil Supply and Revenue Department of Bhopal district administration conducted an intensive search and recovered nearly 18 LPG cylinders stored in a bathroom in a house in Gandhi Nagar.​

Chandrabhan Singh Jadon, an official in the Food and Civil Supply Department of the Madhya Pradesh government, said that information was received about black marketing and storage of LPG cylinders, and a search was subsequently conducted.​

“During the search, we recovered 18 LPG cylinders stored in the bathroom of a house in Gandhi Nagar today. A case has been registered, and further action will be initiated on the basis of the outcome of the investigation,” Jadon told AHN.​

He further stated that the Food and Civil Supply Department, along with other agencies, is keeping a close watch and responding quickly to information received from the public.​

AHN also learnt that those involved in black marketing are charging hefty amounts for domestic LPG cylinders, ranging from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 in Bhopal.​

The Madhya Pradesh government has issued directions to all district collectors to manage LPG supply arrangements and prevent hoarding or black marketing. Following the Centre’s directions, oil companies have halted supply to commercial consumers such as hotels, malls, and industries using bulk LPG, barring hospitals and educational institutions.​

The refill booking period for domestic cylinders has also been increased to 25 days since the delivery of the previous cylinder. Shortages have been reported across Madhya Pradesh for the past three days, despite the state government maintaining adequate stock.