CM writes to Centre on drastic reduction of kerosene share

In the Chief Minister’s letter to the Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas ministry, she stated: “This is with the reference to the important issue of reduction in allocation of kerosene oil by the Central Government for the state of West Bengal.

“I would like to point out, since April 2016, there has been drastic reduction in allocation which will cause grave distress to consumers in remote and tribal areas and will adversely affect the poor, schedule caste, schedule tribe, minority community and the economically weaker sections of society.”

She had further stated in the letter that the state government has cancelled 1.41 crore fake ration cards and it ensured that only the “targeted population” gets the benefit. 

The state’s chief secretary had written to the secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in this connection recently. Thus, Chief Minister requested Pradhan to take necessary and urgent steps so that the state gets it’s allocated of 78,608 KL of kerosene as it “existed in March 2016”.

It may be mentioned that the issue of the reduction in allocation of kerosene oil had cropped up in a meeting headed by the state Food and Supplies minister Jyotipriya Mullick at Khadya Bhavan on Thursday.

The problems that the people were facing due to the reduction in allocation of kerosene oil were discussed.  While trying to find out a solution to the problem, the minister and senior officials of his department had realised that people will continue suffering unless the Centre maintains the allocation as per March 2016 and the Centre needs to take steps on an immediate basis in this regard.