Daltonganj: Over 200 LPG consumers in Latehar district are struggling to get their refills after the distribution agency they are tagged to has shut down following an FIR against its owner.Now, the block supply office has tagged the consumers to an agency in Palamu’s Chainpur, which is located 30 km away. The distance has now led to apprehension of rising delivery cost and a delay in delivery of refills.Santosh Kumar Singh, the owner of Singh HP gas agency in rural Barwadeeh, is absconding since Barwadeeh block supply officer Sumit Kumar Tiwary registered an FIR against Singh on April 18, accusing him of gross irregularities.“An FIR was registered after several malpractices were found at the agency,” Tiwary said. An inspection at Singh’s agency had revealed that against the earmarked stock of 721 cylinders, only 241 were found in his godown. Singh was also charged of obtaining OTP from customers but not delivering cylinders to them.Anurag Kumar, the officer-in-charge of Barwadeeh police station, on Friday said, “An FIR was filed under sections of the BNS and Essential Commodities Act. The accused is absconding, and his gas agency is closed since then.”
