LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has conducted more than 17,000 raids and inspections across the state since March 12 to curb black marketing and ensure smooth supply of LPG and petroleum products.
During this period, 17 people were arrested, the government said in a statement issued late on Monday night.
Following directives issued from the chief secretary, district administrations across the state are actively monitoring the situation. District supply officers and local administrative officials are conducting regular inspections to ensure timely availability of gas cylinders and fuel to consumers, it said.
To ensure smooth supply of petrol, diesel and LPG across the state, and curb black marketing, 17,581 raids and inspections have been carried out across the state since March 12, the statement said.
During this period, 33 FIRs were registered against LPG distributors and 189 FIRs were registered in other cases, leading to the arrest of 17 people. Additionally, prosecution proceedings were initiated against 224 people.
According to the statement, the supply of petrol and diesel in the state remains completely normal, with around 91,000 kilolitres of petrol and 1.15 lakh kilolitres of diesel in stock. There are 12,888 petrol pumps operational across the state.
Between March 27 and 29, thousands of kilolitres of fuel was sold.
The government appealed to the public not to panic or hoard fuel.
The LPG situation in the state is also "satisfactory".
Through 4,107 gas distributors across the state, cylinders are being supplied to consumers as per bookings and sufficient stock is available. The government is also focusing on expanding the city gas distribution (CGD) network, the statement said.
In a meeting chaired by the chief secretary, instructions were issued to expedite pending approvals and increase the number of PNG connections, it said.
Meanwhile, the central government has also permitted a 20 per cent additional allocation of commercial LPG cylinders from March 23.
To ensure continuous monitoring of the situation, a 24-hour control room has been established at the office of the Food and Civil Supplies Commissioner. Control rooms are also operational in all districts to continuously track the situation, the statement said.