70 teams deployed to check on LPG hoarding in Delhi, residents must not panic: Minister Sirsa
New Delhi (PTI): Amid rumours of shortage of cooking gas circulating in parts of the city, Delhi Food and Supplies minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday said there is no shortage of LPG in the capital and appealed residents to remain calm.
The minister, in a statement, said the government has deployed 70 joint teams from the police, the Weights and Measures department and the Food and Supplies department to monitor LPG availability across Delhi.
"These teams are checking stock levels at distributors and markets and will act against hoarding or unfair trade practices," Sirsa said.
The minister said concerns had surfaced amid global supply pressures linked to disruptions in the Gulf and rumours that triggered panic buying in some areas.
"There is no need for any panic, supplies are fully in order," he said, urging residents not to stock up unnecessarily.
The official statement said that the government has also begun regulated sales of commercial LPG cylinders following directions from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, in coordination with oil marketing companies.
Under the arrangement, up to 20 per cent of average daily commercial consumption, around 1,800 cylinders, will be supplied through a priority system to essential sectors such as hospitals, educational institutions, restaurants and dairies, according to the official statement.
Distribution will be carried out through 19-kg cylinders and bookings will follow a first-in-first-out system to prevent hoarding and ensure fair access, he said.
Sirsa said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is reviewing the situation daily and the administration is keeping a close watch on supplies.
Officials asked residents to report any irregularities through helplines so that action can be taken quickly.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
