The Bihar government has banned the sale and use of small gas cylinders following evidence of their use in the serial blasts at Bodh Gaya.
“We have directed companies engaged in LPG gas business to stop with immediate effect the sale and supply of small cylinders,” Food and Civil Supplies Minister Shayam Rajak told sources on Saturday.
The direction to the LPG companies was given after a meeting between them and the minister here on late Friday evening.
If any small gas cylinder is found in any shop, the gas agency of the locality will be held jointly responsible and prosecuted along with the consumer, the minister said, adding the station house officer of the area would also be held accountable in such cases.
It was highlighted in the meeting that despite state government’s direction to the companies in the past through special campaign in hotels and shops that they should stop illegal trade in small cylinders since its rampant use could be seen everywhere.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had spoken about the use of 2.5 kg cylinders in the bombs planted at the Bodh Gaya temple on July 7 and had raised questions on how they were taken inside despite the presence of security personnel.
The oil companies told the minister that in the past, 5 kg cylinders were given to about 2,000 consumers. Around 3,000 cylinders of 5 kg were supplied to the listed consumers and some of them were still refilling them.
Rajak directed companies to ask these consumers to surrender the 5 kg cylinders.
“If a 5 kg cylinder is found in anybody’s posession stringent action will be initiated against them,” Rajak added.