THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, March 16: The Palamu district administration has ordered strong action following the LPG cylinder blast and fire incident in Daltonganj, including an FIR against an Indane gas distributor, suspension of nine police personnel and a recommendation to suspend the agency’s licence.
Deputy Commissioner Sameera S said an FIR is being lodged at the Town Police Station against Indane distributor A.K. Sah, whose agency is licensed for Kutmu under Pandu police station limits.
However, the distributor had allegedly illegally stocked LPG cylinders in Daltonganj town, leading to the blast and fire incident on Sunday.
Blast Injured Four Workers
The explosion and fire occurred in the basement of the distributor’s house in Daltonganj, where LPG cylinders were reportedly stored illegally.
Four workers present in the basement sustained burn injuries during the incident.
The Deputy Commissioner said the case involved blatant violation of licence conditions, as the distributor was authorised to operate in Kutmu but had stocked cylinders in the town area.
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43 Cylinders Go Missing
In a major twist to the case, 43 LPG cylinders out of 61 were found missing from the site on Monday morning.
Superintendent of Police Reeshma Ramesan said that when officials checked the spot, only 18 cylinders were found while 43 were missing, despite the site being under police surveillance.
Nine Police Personnel Suspended
Taking the matter seriously, the SP ordered the suspension of nine police personnel, including the in-charge of Town Police Outpost No. 3.
The suspended personnel include:
- Two Assistant Sub-Inspectors
- One Havildar
- Six constables
Officials said the suspension was ordered due to serious negligence after the disappearance of cylinders from the incident site.
Administration Seeks Suspension of Gas Agency Licence
DC Sameera S has also directed the suspension of the licence of the Kutmu-based Indane gas agency operated by A.K. Sah.
Following the order, District Supply Officer Preeti Kisko has written to the Regional Managers of Indian Oil Corporation Limited and the Indane Divisional Office in Ranchi, requesting immediate suspension of the licence and communication of the action to the district administration.
Consumers to Be Linked With Another Agency
Sources said that during the suspension period, the agency’s over 1,800 LPG consumers will be linked to the nearest Indane distributor to ensure an uninterrupted supply of domestic LPG cylinders.
Additional Collector Kundan Kumar said Palamu district has over four lakh domestic LPG consumers, nearly half of them under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
Administration Orders Strict Monitoring
The Deputy Commissioner also chaired a high-level review meeting on Monday following the incident.
Officials have now mandated that LPG cylinders must be delivered only after OTP verification.
Authorities reiterated that no LPG distributor can operate outside the area specified in the licence, noting that the Kutmu-based agency had allegedly carried out clandestine sale and storage of LPG cylinders in Daltonganj town.