PANAJI
There is continued demand at ration shops and that is unmet due to the Centre’s policy of reducing kerosene allocations.
“There are 9016 card holders who buy Kerosene. The government gives 10.5 litres of kerosene per ration card”, said Director of Civil Supplies Sudhir Kerkar.
Till last year, Goa used to get 72 kilo litres of kerosene but now the quota has been reduced to almost half to 48 kilo litres, said Kerkar.
Although the centre is pushing to phase out kerosene, there are many below poverty line families in Goa which depend on it.
The Civil Supplies department through its taluka office network is carrying out the exercise of verifying the need of kerosene customers who buy it from fair price shops.
“There are many people, especially the migrant labourers, who rely on kerosene as they can’t afford the LPG gas cylinder,” said a civil supply inspector. In the prevailing situation, Goa is forced to seek kerosene allocation.
The Centre has phased out budgetary subsidies for this fuel. There is no kerosene subsidy this fiscal year against Rs 2,677.32 crore in FY21.
In March 2021, the Centre had declared 10 states kerosene-free.
The increasing domestic cooking gas connections and electricity coverage are the criteria used by the Centre to reduce kerosene quota to the state.
The Centre was of the view that distributing free liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and electrification under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, or Saubhagya, would eliminate the need for kerosene since it was largely used for illumination and cooking.
However, this is not the case as poor people can’t afford to refill gas cylinders provided free by the government.
