Ludhiana DC sets up 11-member committee for collection of oxygen cylinders amid rising demand

Ludhiana (Punjab) [India], May 2 (ANI): Ludhiana's District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma on Sunday set up an 11-member committee to inspect and collect the cylinders amid a surge in oxygen demand due to rising COVID-19 infections in the state.
Passing official orders in this regard, the District Magistrate said the committee would be headed by Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) chief administrator Parminder Singh Gill as its chairman, according to a statement.
Gill will be followed by ADCP Jaskaran Singh Teja, PPCB SE Sandeep Behal, Executive Engineer PPCB Manohar Lal, Deputy Director Factories SS Bhatti, Assistant Labour Commissioner Baljeet Singh, besides five other officials as its members.
He said that apart from GLADA chief administrator Parminder Singh Gill and ADCP Jaskaran Singh Teja, other members would also work as executive magistrates and would have the power to inspect any industry to check cylinders and none of the industry would stop the committee from inspection.
He further said that in case any factory/industrial unit denies the committee to check its premises, the panel would have the power to open the locks for inspection, as per the statement.
The committee would take the cylinders in their possession seized during checking and would maintain the entire record accordingly (factory/industry), Sharma added.
He additionally informed that after releasing the cylinders to distributors, the stock register would also be kept so that whenever the pandemic is over in future, these cylinders can be returned.
The Deputy Commissioner appealed to the owners of all factories and industries to give utmost support to the committee and those who would hamper its functioning would face strict legal action. (ANI)