By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The Uttarakhand government on Monday strictly ordered that the LPG supply should not be disrupted to consumers in any circumstances in the wake of the crisis emanating from the Middle East war.
The directive came after a review meeting on the status of LPG supply was held at the Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan. Top officials from the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, along with the District Magistrates of all districts, participated in the meeting virtually.
The concerned departments informed the meeting that there is adequate availability of LPG within the state, and that timely and sufficient supply is being ensured to consumers in accordance with their demand, an official statement said.
“While receiving feedback from the District Magistrates regarding the gas supply situation, the Chief Secretary issued directives emphasizing that, under no circumstances, should the supply of gas to consumers be disrupted,” it said.
The Chief Secretary also directed officials that the black marketing of LPG and other essential commodities would not be tolerated under any circumstances. He issued instructions to conduct regular raids, stock inspections, and surveillance drives to curb the illegal sale and hoarding of gas.
During the meeting, a detailed report was presented regarding the raids conducted across various districts, the FIRs registered, and the actions taken. The Chief Secretary further directed the District Magistrates to maintain better coordination with gas companies and distributors, as well as to keep them under constant surveillance, to ensure that the gas supply remains smooth and that black marketing is effectively curbed.
Principal Secretaries R.K. Sudhanshu and L.L. Fanai, Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, Additional Director General of Police V. Murugesan, along with other concerned officials, were present in the meeting.
Meanwhile, the government has also issued an SOP for the distribution of LPG commercial connections.