The state government will examine the feasibility of installing electronic indicators on cylinders to prevent cooking gas from being pilfered from them. This was stated by minister of state for food and civil supplies, Ravindra Chavan, in the state legislative assembly on Thursday. He was replying to a calling attention motion by Trupti Sawant (Shiv Sena-Bandra East) and others about the illegal sale of LPG and Mumbai crime branch officials busting a gas pilferage racket at Walkeshwar. Pointing out that many gas agencies were involved in this malpractice, Shiv Sena legislator from Dindoshi Sunil Prabhu alleged they were linked to criminal gangs. Suspecting mafia involvement in the racket, Congress MLA from Mumbadevi Amin Patel sought a CID probe. He noted that while the price of LPG was rising, consumers were getting only half the amount of gas owing to pilferation. Prabhu suggested that electronic indicators be used to indicate the weight of cylinders. Each domestic cylinders weighs around 14 kg. Chavan said they would examine the proposal and ask for it to be implemented. He added that consumers must ask the delivery boys to check the weight of cylinders at delivery. Last month, the Mumbai crime branch had busted an eight-member gang from Walkeshwar which illegally pilfered LPG from cylinders and sold the stolen gas in the grey market. Some of the arrested persons were delivery boys. In January, similar action had been taken by the Thane police. Chavan said between April 2018 and March 2019, a total of 64 gas agencies in the Mumbai- Thane rationing area had been checked and action was taken under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, against nine agencies where irregularities had been found. Action is also taken by oil marketing companies (OMCs) against the gas agencies if these companies receive any complaints about the illegal sale of LPG cylinders to hotels and vendors on the footpath and if domestic consumers complained they were not getting deliveries on time. The Trigger Last month, the Mumbai crime branch had busted an eight-member gang from Walkeshwar which illegally pilfered LPG from cylinders and sold the stolen gas in the grey market. Some of the arrested persons were delivery boys

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