While consumers are still coming to grips with the Centre’s decision to cut subsidised LPG cylinders to six in a year and the rise in diesel price, they have been dealt another blow.
There is now likely to be a sharp cut in the quantity of kerosene to be distributed by ration shops in the state.
The cut has become inevitable following the drastic reduction of 13,377 kilolitres in the monthly allocation of kerosene to the state by the Centre, despite the chief minister’s plea to the Prime Minister to increase the allocation, say official sources.
A food department officer says the state is now getting only 45,000 kilolitres of kerosene a month as against its requirement of 65,140 kl.
The decrease in allocation comes as bad news for nearly one crore families in the state which depend on kerosene as cooking fuel.
While the government has not issued any specific orders, officials have been told to manage the limited supply efficiently to ensure that all 1.5 crore cardholders receive it, sources reveal.
Several PDS shops in the city have now reportedly reduced the quantity of kerosene for cardholders with no LPG connections from 10 to eight litres. Fortunately, the three litre cardholders (around 65 lakhs) continue to get their quota.
“We have been orally instructed to reduce the quantity for consumers entitled to 10 litres, but there is no reduction for those who are entitled to only three litres (with one LPG cylinder),” said a PDS shop employee.
“Although the Centre’s allocation was always inadequate, we were able to manage as not all cardholders claimed their quota regularly.
But, considering the much reduced allocation, it has now been decided to give priority to the cardholders who did not receive their quota the previous month,” said the food department officer, adding that additional staff had been appointed to check pilferage.”