Mangaluru: The state government has allocated Rs 53 Crore to provide kerosene at subsidised rates to 4516 fishermen in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts, State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies has said.

Speaking to reporters on March 1, U T Khader said that the union government had refused to provide the kerosene at subsidised rates to fishermen.

The government would purchase kerosene at Rs 34 per litre directly from open market and distribute it at subsidised a rate of Rs 24 to the fishermen, he added.

The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in its reply to a letter written by the state government seeking the allocation of subsidised kerosene for distribution to the motorised boats of coastal districts of Karnataka, stated that, “No person can use kerosene supplied via Public Distribution System for any purpose other than cooking and illumination,” informed Khader.

He also said that there were 914 traditional boats in Dakshina Kannada, 990 in Uthara Kannada and 2610 in Udupi.