- Police escorted LPG cylinder vehicles in Telangana's Mahabubabad to a shortage-hit village
- Residents faced weeks-long delays in domestic cooking gas cylinder deliveries in the village
- Authorities feared law-and-order issues due to crowding at the cylinder distribution centre
In a rare and unusual scene generally associated with VIP convoys, police personnel in Telangana's Mahabubabad district escorted vehicles transporting domestic LPG cylinders to a village facing a severe cooking gas shortage.
The incident took place on Thursday in a village where residents have reportedly been struggling for weeks due to delays in gas cylinder supplies. Villagers said cylinders were not being delivered even several days after booking, forcing many families to rely on firewood and alternative cooking arrangements.
As panic and public frustration mounted, authorities feared crowding and possible law-and-order problems at the distribution point. In response, local police deployed security personnel and escorted the gas vehicles into the village under tight supervision.
Visuals from the village showed police vehicles leading and following LPG-loaded autos as they the village. Officials said nearly 170 consumers had booked cylinders in the village, while hundreds of residents gathered at the distribution centre waiting for supplies. Two sub-inspectors reportedly supervised the operation to ensure smooth distribution.
Police personnel later monitored the distribution process at the village government school premises to prevent any untoward incidents.
A local police official said the escort was arranged purely as a precautionary measure due to the heavy rush for cylinders.
"We deployed police personnel to maintain order and ensure the cylinders reached genuine consumers without any disturbance. The situation was tense because a large number of villagers had gathered at the distribution point," the official said.
Residents expressed frustration over supply delays, but the unusual police escort for gas cylinder vehicles has now drawn widespread attention across Telangana.
