NEW DELHI: The Crime Branch of Delhi Police conducted coordinated raids in Sangam Vihar and busted an illegal LPG racket, recovering 183 Indane cylinders and refilling equipment from three rented godowns.A case has been registered under the Essential Commodities Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and four accused delivery personnel have been bound down.
The crackdown comes amid growing disruption in LPG availability across the national capital, affecting the livelihoods of street vendors. Many have been forced to shut their stalls or borrow heavily to continue operations, while others are purchasing cylinders at inflated rates on the black market.Naresh Chawla, who runs a fast-food stall near PVR Saket, said a single establishment often supports multiple families.“One small shop supports eight to 10 livelihoods. I employ three to four workers who have migrated from villages. Many of us have taken loans to run these stalls. If this continues, 30 per cent of street vendors will lose their means of survival,” he said.He added that vendors are exhausting their savings and struggling to meet household responsibilities, including caring for elderly parents.The impact is visible across the city. In Adarsh Nagar, a food vendor named Vicky said he paid around Rs 4,000 for a small cylinder. To manage the cost, he raised food prices by Rs 10, but said customers were unwilling to pay more.“Customers at street stalls are not wealthy. They tell me if they had more money, they would dine at restaurants,” Vicky said.He added that after paying his staff, he did not have enough money left to buy basic ingredients like paneer, having already borrowed funds for his mother’s treatment.
