District admin bans LPG shops due to security

Licence holders asked to relocate agencies to safer locations from Adiala Road

RAWALPINDI:

Various LPG filling agencies and shops, both legal and illegal, operating on Adiala Road have been banned with immediate effect due to security concerns.

According to the Rawalpindi district administration, the decision mandates the immediate sealing of illegal shops and agencies, with their goods confiscated. Licence holders are required to relocate their agencies to safer locations.

Officials said this precautionary measure arises from the constant VVIP movement on Adiala Road, which is heavily trafficked due to the daily transportation of accused individuals from Adiala Jail to the courts and back.

The road remains busy until night, necessitating heightened safety measures.

Deputy Commissioner Cheema has instructed the Civil Defense Department to enforce these orders without delay. In response, the department has issued red notices to all licenced LPG cylinder gas agencies along the stretch from 502 Workshop on Adiala Road to Adiala Village, giving them a seven-day deadline to relocate. Meanwhile, illegal cylinder gas shops and agencies have been sealed immediately.

District Officer Civil Defense Talib Hussain confirmed that following these orders, eight illegal cylinder gas filling shops have been sealed. The confiscated items include gas-filling devices and stored gas. Formal cases are being filed against these illegal operators at the police station.

To ensure compliance with the deputy commissioner's orders, two teams have been formed. Any licence holder failing to relocate their agency by June 25 will face further action, including the sealing of their agency. These sealed agencies will only be reopened once they have been safely transferred to new locations.

The move aims to mitigate risks associated with the high traffic volume and sensitive movements on Adiala Road, ensuring the safety of all residents and travellers in the area, the officials further said.