Cuttack: More than 40 consumers have allegedly been cheated by a gas agency at Madhupatna since March, with many claiming they received delivery confirmation messages despite not getting LPG cylinders.Cuttack collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde has assured the aggrieved residents of action. “We will investigate the complaints thoroughly and take strict action against those found responsible. Consumers will not be allowed to suffer due to such malpractice,” he said.Admitting to the irregularities, gas agency owner Biswanath Mukherjee blamed an employee. “One of our employees was involved in black marketing and has absconded. We are looking into the matter,” he said.Affected residents say repeated complaints to civil supplies officer (CSO) Chandra Sekhar Patra have yielded no action. Instead, they were allegedly asked to bring forward more complainants, adding to their frustration.Ashok Kumar Mohanty of Khannagar said he booked a cylinder on March 11 but never received it. “The agency has clearly cheated us. I got a delivery message on March 18, but no cylinder was supplied. We have also informed the CSO, yet no action has been taken even after a month,” he alleged.Akhaya Kumar Sahoo of Ranamaa Sahi, a fast-food vendor, said he received a delivery message on March 25, but no cylinder was delivered. More than 40 people have been duped in the same way, he added.Sangeeta Mohanty, a resident of Khannagar, shared a similar experience. “They marked my cylinder as delivered on March 19, but nothing reached my home,” she said.Despite repeated complaints, consumers claim the agency owner remained unresponsive. “We contacted the owner several times, but there was no action. We were left without gas for weeks,” Mohanty said.
