62 domestic LPG cylinders seized
Anantapur: Vigilance and Enforcement department teams, led by Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Officer YBPTA Prasad, conducted surprise raids in Anantapur and Sri Sathya Sai districts on Saturday to curb the illegal diversion and sale of domestic LPG cylinders. Acting on information about misuse for commercial purposes, joint teams with revenue officials targeted Guntakal, Gooty, and Kadiri towns. In Guntakal, at Balaji Cafe Hotel near Hanuman Junction (owned by Anumula Surendra), authorities seized four domestic LPG cylinders allegedly used commercially.
At a gas stove repair shop near Gandhi Circle in Gooty, owned by M Chinna Mohammed, 12 cylinders were confiscated along with a gas filling pipe. In Kadiri's Kandikunta Narayanamma Colony, a raid on the house of delivery boy K Suresh uncovered 66 cylinders suspected for illegal hoarding and distribution. Officials explained that household LPG cylinders—subsidised for domestic use—are illegally procured from delivery personnel at lower rates, then diverted for commercial needs or refilled into smaller cylinders for black-market sales at higher prices.
A total of 62 cylinders were seized across these locations and handed over to local revenue authorities. Cases were registered. Authorities issued a stern warning of strict action against those involved in such malpractices, emphasising ongoing vigilance to protect subsidized supplies for households.
