Food, Civil, and Consumer Affairs Minister G.R. Anil has said that the Government intends to supply kerosene until December at ₹47 a litre, the rate that prevailed a week ago until it witnessed an increase of ₹8.
While the price of kerosene has increased to ₹55 a litre, the Government plans to distribute it from the stock kept aside for December at the previous rate.
Replying to a submission by P.S. Supal in the Assembly on Monday, Mr. Anil said the unprecedented price hike by the Centre had affected large sections.
Pointing out that the base rate of kerosene increased from ₹22.26 in April 2020 to ₹45.80 at present, Mr. Anil said the price had doubled within a year-and-a-half. Besides, the State had been allocated 13,908 kilolitres of kerosene in April 2020. The monthly allocation had fallen to 6,480 kilolitres.
There had been no increase in proportionate to the growing number of ration card holders in the State, which had prompted the Government to limit kerosene supply to a litre and half-a-litre for priority and non-priority ration card holders respectively every three months, and eight litres for non-electrified households, he said.
Nonetheless, priority and non-priority ration card holders were provided an additional one litre and half-a-litre of kerosene respectively in August.
Mr. Anil added that the Government had twice requested the Centre to increase the State’s allocation. More recently, the Chief Minister urged the Centre to supply 12,000 kilolitres of non-subsidised kerosene in the wake of the recent floods and landslips.
