PNS | DEHRADUN
The Dehradun district administration sealed an illegally operated cooking gas (LPG) warehouse in the Raipur area on Friday morning. The warehouse had reportedly been functioning illegally for the past 24 years. The action was initiated after the lease for the warehouse had allegedly expired years ago, yet operations continued unabated.
The case came to light during a public hearing conducted by Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal, where a 95-year-old woman raised concerns about illegal encroachment and unauthorised use of her land. The complainant, a resident of Garhi Cantt, informed the DM that her 12,000-square-foot land in Ranjhawala area of Raipur had been leased to a gas agency in 1988 for 10 years.
However, the lease reportedly expired in 1998 and rent payments ceased in 2000, as per the complainant. The DM said that according to the complainant, the occupants tampered with property documents to claim ownership of the land. The elderly woman alleged that land mafia were eyeing her property due to her vulnerable condition. Considering this, the DM ordered an investigation and instructed the sub-divisional magistrate Kumkum Joshi to coordinate with the departments concerned for immediate action. The authorities conducted an inspection of the warehouse and then finally sealed it on Friday.
The DM also directed officials to revoke the license for the gas agency and scrutinise the role of the departments and agencies concerned, including the petroleum and explosives regulatory authorities. The DM expressed dismay at the negligence of these departments, questioning how the illegal operation had continued for so long without any intervention. He has directed all the agencies concerned to present all records related to the case within three days. Failure to comply will result in the cancellation of the agency’s license and strict action against the guilty party, Bansal said.
