Man arrested for illegal diesel storage in Dakshina Kannada
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): A 35-year-old man was arrested for allegedly storing large quantities of diesel without licence in Dakshina Kannada district, police said on Tuesday.
The incident was reported at Mudalthiyar in Kaniyooru village of Belthangady taluk in this district, they said.
Acting on a tip-off received by Belthangady Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rohini C K, a police team conducted a raid at the location on the night of March 9, officials said.
During the search, officers found diesel stored in a shed near the house of the accused, identified as Jagadeesh, a senior police officer said.
Police said about 20 barrels with a capacity of around 200 litres each and five cans of approximately 35 litres capacity were found filled with diesel.
In all, around 4,175 litres of diesel worth about Rs 3.5 lakh was seized from the premises.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that the fuel had been stocked without any valid licence and without adhering to mandatory safety regulations, posing potential safety risks, police said.
A case has been registered at Uppinangady Police Station, and further investigation is under way.
Officials noted that the village in this incident is situated close to the 280 kilometer Mangalore-Bangalore Petroleum Pipeline owned by Petronet India, which starts near MRPL in Dakshina Kannada and ends to Devanagundi village just outside Nelamangala near Bengaluru. It passes through the eco-sensitive Western ghats part in Dakshina Kannada and Chikkamgaluru districts.
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Adequate LPG stock in Chhattisgarh, no need to panic, says CM Sai
Raipur (PTI): Amid reports of shortage of commercial LPG cylinder in several parts of the country due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday assured people that they need not worry about the availability of cooking gas in the state.
He asserted that adequate stock of LPG as well as petrol and diesel was available in the state.
Sai said in a statement that authorities have been directed to regularly monitor stock at gas agencies and keep a close watch on the supply chain. Necessary instructions were issued to officials in all districts to ensure a smooth supply of LPG.
The chief minister instructed officials to take strict action if any complaint of black marketing or hoarding of LPG cylinders is received.
Sai urged state residents not to pay attention to rumours and to book cooking gas cylinders as per their actual requirement.
The government was fully alert to ensure the availability of essential commodities to citizens, he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Hotel and Restaurant Association has issued an advisory to hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food businesses across the state, urging them to maintain calm and avoid panic buying.
In the advisory, Taranjeet Singh Hora, president of the association, asked members to maintain coordination and immediately inform it about any major disruption in LPG supply.
He cautioned businesses against hoarding cylinders, saying such practices could worsen the situation for the entire hospitality sector.
The association advised hotels and restaurants to prioritise essential kitchen operations, core menu items and already committed banquet events.
Use electric cooking equipment wherever possible for emergency and staff kitchens such as induction cooktops, electric hot plates, electric rice cookers and kettles, the advisory stated.
