Written by: Press Trust of India
2 min readPatnaJul 14, 2013 12:11 AM IST
First published on: Jul 14, 2013 at 12:11 AM IST
Bihar has banned the sale and use of small gas cylinders following evidence of their use in the July 7 serial blasts at Bodhgaya. We have directed companies engaged in LPG gas business to stop with immediate effect the sale and supply of small cylinders, said Food and Civil Supplies Minister Shayam Rajak.
The direction to LPG firms was issued after a meeting between the minister and them on Friday. If a small gas cylinder is found in any shop,the local gas agency will be held jointly responsible and prosecuted along with the consumer,the minister said,adding the top police officer of the area would also be held accountable in such cases.
It was highlighted in the meeting that despite states direction to the companies in the past through special campaign in hotels and shops that they should stop illegal trade in small cylinders its rampant use could be seen everywhere.
CM Nitish Kumar had spoken about the use of 2.5 kg cylinders in the Bodhgaya bombs and questioned how they were taken inside despite the presence of security.
The oil companies told the minister that in the past,5 kg cylinders were given to 2,000 consumers and about 3,000 cylinders were still being refilled by them. Rajak directed the firms to ask the consumers to surrender the cylinders. If a 5 kg cylinder is found in anybodys posession stringent action will be initiated against them, Rajak said.
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