Taking a strong exception to the Union Government's “anti-Gujarat policies,” the Gujarat government on Thursday protested against the Centre for “singling out” this State in reducing its kerosene quota overnight by 32.19 per cent from June 1, which it said would hit poor rural household.

The quota for supplying kerosene to States for distribution through fair price shops under the Public Distribution System (PDS) is decided by the Centre.

State Ministers Mr Jay Narayan Vyas and Mr Saurabh Patel said this is for the third time in two years that the Centre did it to Gujarat.

The monthly quota of 79,644 kilolitre (KL), prevailing from 2004-05 to 2008-09, was reduced for the first time by 0.02 per cent to 79,488 KL in July 2009, and again by 3.5 per cent to 76,712 KL from 2010-11. The latest cut by 32.19 per cent has reduced it to only 52,020 KL a month from this month.

Highest cut

The quota was reduced in some other States also, such as Rajasthan (0.03%), Uttar Pradesh (0.08%), Haryana (10.64%), Andhra Pradesh (13.11%) and Kerala (14.84%). Nowhere else, it is near 32.19 per cent as in Gujarat, they said.

The Ministers said the decision will hit the poor housewives the most, as it is they who have to cook for the families.

They also recalled that the Centre continued to “force” Gujarat in the matter of buying imported CNG from Petronet at a cost higher by Rs 8.35 per unit, while allocating CNG at administered prices as perKG basin formula to the Congress-led States such as Maharashtra and Delhi and to metros such as Mumbai.

Related Topics