AGARTALA, May 4 (TIWN): If you go by the statistics, there should not be acute crisis of refilled LPG cylinders in the state but the scarcity of cooking gas has become a phenomenon here.
The state has 3, 54,000 valid LPG consumers and an average 60 percent of the total consumers needs cylinders on monthly basis. If you take into consideration on the demand (677 bullets) and supply (322 bullets), there should not be any crisis in the state.

Unfortunately, this is not happening because of large scale black marketing of LPG cylinders with higher price.

Even Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhanu Lal Saha admitted there are reports of black marketing of LPG cylinders by a section of dealers/ gas agencies.

Minister’s statement proved true after recovery of 800 Blue Books from a gas agency at Jirania area yesterday. Based on specific inputs, the Asst Food Controller conducted raid in an extension outlet of Ashirbad Gas Agency at Jirania and recovered around 800 Blue Books from inside the outlet. In course of preliminary investigation, it was found that the gas agency authority issued pocket dairies to its consumers instead of Blue Books- which is a clear case of malpractice.

An FIR has been filed against Ranu Saha, owner of Ashirbad Gas Agency at Jirania police station under EC Act for indulging malpractice. When contacted, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Jirania police station confirmed the registration of case against a gas agency owner. Besides, the owner has been charged with forgery for manipulating existing guidelines.