Hyderabad: The recent gas cylinder explosions have compelled the Hyderabad police to crack down on illegal gas-filling stations. More than 20 such establishments have been shut down after police arrested owners. The cops also seized a number of domestic and small cylinders (used in vehicles) in the raid.
However, sources say that a major issue that the authorities have overlooked is the nexus between authorised domestic gas distributing agencies and local agents. The latter buy domestic gas from the agencies illegally and sell it for a higher price after filling it in smaller cylinders.
“A domestic gas cylinder costs Rs 440 with the subsidy. What the gas agencies do is they illegally give such cylinders in bulk to these agents for more than Rs 600 a cylinder. The agents, who run illegal refilling stations, fill three smaller cylinders with it and sell them for Rs 400 or more each to autorickshaw drivers and other customers,” said an agent who previously used to run a station illegally.
The police only concentrate on the local agents while the authorised gas agencies are left off scotfree though they are equally culpable.
City police say that they want to focus on the safety aspect of this illegal business first. “Since the filling stations located in residential areas are dangerous, we are concentrating on local agents now,” said a senior cop from the commissioner’s task force.
Police say they are aware of illegal activities of the authorised distributors. “They sell gas cylinder for higher prices to the agents from the stock meant for customers. That is why households get cylinders once in six months instead of every month,” said K. Surya Prakash Rao, inspector of South Zone task force.
The police say that since the small cylinders are in demand and there are few authorised filling stations in the city, the illegal businesses have mushroomed in the city.
