Kerosene share must not be reduced

It is not understood how giving half a liter or one liter of kerosene per month to households with ration cards can become a heavy burden on the central government. The kerosene allocation to the states has been gradually reduced over the last few months. No one knows what the reason for is this. One liter of kerosene which was distributed through the ration shop was reduced to half a liter and that too is available only once in three months. Now it is heard that the supply of kerosene to blue and white card holders will be stopped completely from next month onwards. It has been months since the withdrawal of the free ration of kerosene. Five years ago, a liter of ration kerosene costed only Rs 19, but now it is Rs 81. How can one justify the stubbornness of not providing kerosene to cardholders despite charging three times the price? Rumor has it that milk and honey are flowing through the public distribution system but their actions speak the opposite.

There may be many people who raise the question of what difference half a liter ration of kerosene makes for ordinary households. They are the ones who do not understand the need for kerosene at all. Most people keep buying and keeping that half a liter with the thought that at least this much is available. Kerosene is useful for burning waste in homes and for keeping away vermin. If kerosene was readily available in the market like petrol and diesel, this complaint would not have arisen. Distribution of kerosene from wholesalers is on a controlled scale and it is almost inaccessible to common people. When even pesticides are readily available in the market, it is not understood why there is such a huge restriction on kerosene alone. Every time the centre cuts the kerosene allowance, the state civil supplies minister submits a petition. Continuous letters are sent explaining the requirement but they never gave any results.

Ration card holders are not the only ones suffering the brunt of the centre's flawed kerosene distribution policy. This is a decision that cripples the entire fishing industry because the allotment for the fisheries sector has also been cut in half. When the supply of 2160 kiloliters comes down to 1296 kiloliters, fishing vessels, and boats, which are already suffering from a kerosene shortage, will have to remain ashore for more days than before from now on. The fishing sector used to get kerosene at a subsidized price. The amount of kerosene obtained in this way was sufficient only for a few days. A liter of kerosene costs Rs. 102 in the open market. The decision was made without consideration of these realities. States should have been consulted before cutting the kerosene allotment and hence this unilateral decision must be reviewed by the Centre.