Mangalore: The intended completion of district administration’s plan to make Mangalore and Ullal a kerosene-free city is set to directly profit the state government by saving them a little more than Rs 17 lakhs every month, depriving the availability of subsidized kerosene to the BPL card holders.
According to C.S Sharanabasappa, Deputy Director, Food and Civil Supplies Department, presently 7,500 BPL card holders – under Mangalore and Ullal limits – avail kerosene (up to 5 litres) at subsidized rate of Rs 18.50 per one litre. However, the market rate of kerosene for the government is Rs 64. It means the state government spends Rs 17 lakhs every month for kerosene excluding transport costs.
Therefore, the Dakshina Kannada district administration’s plan to make two cities kerosene-free by providing LPG gas connections to all the 7,500 families will in return profit the state government by a little more than Rs 17 lakhs every month.
To substantiate, the Deputy Commissioner reiterated that the department of Food and Civil Supplies would stop issuing kerosene to fair price shops for the ration card holders after providing gas connections.
Burdening the poor
The district administration is ready to provide Rs 4,000 (required for gas connection) to those families which come under MCC’s SCs/STs Welfare Scheme (22.75%), other backward communities (7.25%) and disabilities (3%) scheme.
The district administration has arranged bank loans for those families who do not come under these categories. But, these families will have to make initial payment of
Rs. 1,600 with a monthly installment facility of Rs 200 in addition to interest. Besides, the government will not be providing LPG cylinders (re-fill) at ‘more subsidized rate’ for the BPL card holders, he said.
“Improve quality of life”
Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim felt that the project was intended to ‘improve the quality of life of the poor’. While, Sharanabasappa said the project is not to save money but rather to facilitate the availability of LPG connections to the have-nots.
Corporator Appi said that the project would certainly help the poor, even if the kerosene is not available at a subsidized rate. She said, “Those who do not have cooking gas connections spend more than Rs 1,000 every month on firewood. Besides, even five liters of kerosene does not serve the purpose of cooking”.
A.B Ibrahim said spending Rs 500 to re-fill gas cylinder every month does not burden them. It’s about how you prioritize things. Expenses on consuming alcohol, mobile phones are not important.
“In the course of time”
Sunil Kumar Bajal, secretary of CPI (M) said making two cities kerosene-free must take its own course of time, not by order. He welcomed decision to provide cooking gas connection to all the households and expressed displeasure over ‘kerosene-free’ project.
District in-charge minister B. Ramanath Rai said there will not be a blanket ban on the sale of kerosene, even though it has been decided to declare two cities kerosene-free on November 1. Kerosene will be available in the market, he said.
