Agartala, Nov 9 (TIWN): Amid huge Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder crisis in Tripura, the rampant black marketing of LPG cylinders has gripped the state alarmingly. The shortage of LPG cylinders is continuing in Tripura triggering huge backlog for over two months. The administration is maintaining silence over recovering the gas cylinders hoarded by black marketers.

A section of consumers have alleged that the state government and concerned department are not taking any initiative to control the situation. The huge number of black marketing of LPG cylinder is one of the prime reasons for acute cooking gas shortage in the state, they said.

The state needed over 1, 72,535 cylinders every month. The total number of gas agencies is being increased to 46. At such position, the two LPG bottling plants at Bishalghar and Kalagachhia in West Tripura district are unable to cope with the rising demand for LPG cylinders. As a result, a huge backlog has been created all over the state for over two months.

According to the sources of Food and Civil Supplies Department, the acute LPG crisis in the state is likely to be controlled by the end of November. But very poor chances are there to cope up with the rising LPG demands without creating a high-powerful gas bottling plant in the state, said the source.

According to a highly placed source in Food and Civil Supplies Department, the necessary repairing works for Bishalghar gas bottling plant are likely be started by this month without hampering the existing gas bottling unit.