Siliguri: Amid the ongoing chaos over LPG gas cylinders in Siliguri, allegations of black-marketing have surfaced, prompting the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) to take stricter measures against the misuse of cylinders.
The SMC has started conducting raids in different parts of the city to curb illegal activities. A team of the civic body seized five domestic LPG cylinders from an eatery near Pradhan Nagar for allegedly using them for commercial purposes.
Mayor Gautam Deb made it clear that the use of domestic cylinders in commercial establishments will not be tolerated. He also made it clear that black-marketing and selling cylinders at higher prices will also not be tolerated.
The mayor also appealed to residents not to panic over the situation, assuring that there is no shortage of LPG cylinders for domestic consumers. Deb informed that he held a meeting with officials of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) at the SMC office on Friday.
“The officials of IOCL and HPCL assured us that they have sufficient LPG cylinders and proper arrangements for refilling. So there is no need for domestic gas users to panic. However, the use of domestic cylinders for commercial purposes and any form of black-market trading will not be tolerated. The SMC team is maintaining strict vigil on this,” Deb stated.
According to officials, LPG supply in Siliguri is handled by two companies — IOCL and HPCL. While HPCL supplies only domestic cylinders, IOCL distributes both domestic and commercial cylinders in the city.
The officials also informed the mayor that there is an adequate stock of LPG cylinders for at least one month. Refilling facilities are available at Raninagar and Phansidewa.
Meanwhile, due to certain server-related issues affecting online bookings, IOCL has introduced a manual booking system along with the existing online process. The manual system came into effect on Thursday, providing some relief to consumers facing booking difficulties.
Authorities have also released helpline numbers for LPG-related complaints. Consumers can contact 8697004403 for LPG-related issues, while the SMC has issued a 24×7 helpline number — 7557035194.