Ludhiana, May 2- Amidst the steep rise in the demand for medical oxygen and some industrial units still withholding empty or filled cylinders despite an appeal by the district administration to return them immediately, District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma on Sunday set up an 11-member committee to inspect and collect the cylinders.
Passing official orders in this regard, District Magistrate said the committee would be headed by GLADA chief administrator Parminder Singh Gill as its chairman, 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 5 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 said 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.
Deputy Commissioner added that the committee would take the cylinders in their possession seized during checking and would maintain the entire record accordingly (factory/industry). He said 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.
Sharma appealed to the owners of all factories/industries to give utmost support to the committee and those who would hamper its functioning would face strict legal action.