Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 1: In order to ensure availability of kerosene for people not covered under public distribution system (PDS), the state government has decided to sell kerosene at petrol pumps across the state.
The food supplies and consumer welfare (FS&CW) department has decided to sell kerosene at petrol pumps with the help of oil marketing companies (OMCs). A meeting to this effect was held here Monday.
“We have asked all OMCs and their retail outlets in the state to store non-PDS white kerosene, which cannot be adulterated. Those not covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) provisions are eligible to buy white kerosene from these outlets at the prevailing market price,” FS&CW secretary PK Mohapatra said.
The Centre has also accorded green signal to the state government to implement the decision, he said, adding, sale of kerosene at filling stations will come into force in a couple of months.
Recently, the state government has decided to
implement the direct benefit transfer (DBT) in kerosene from October. The scheme would be executed in Deogarh and Jharsuguda districts, and Bhubaneswar and Rourkela corporation areas on a pilot basis from October this year.
The state has taken the decision at the behest of a Central direction. The Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas has prepared the DBT in PDS Kerosene Scheme-2016 and asked the state to execute it, official sources said.
However, ration cardholders using PDS kerosene for end use other than cooking and illumination and consumers with LPG connection would not be entitled to get subsidy under the scheme.
