Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 6 (PTI) Keralam has sought a more than two-fold increase in its quarterly kerosene quota to 9,564 kilolitres, citing growing demand among economically weaker sections and traditional fishermen.
State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob has written to Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi, seeking an increase in the state’s present quarterly allocation of 4,068 KL, an official statement said on Tuesday.
Jacob said economically weaker sections, migrant workers and other disadvantaged groups depend on subsidised kerosene and the state government had no option but to increase the distribution from 0.5 litre to one litre.
A significant number of families in coastal and hilly areas and remote regions of Keralam depend on kerosene for household needs, he said.
The demand for kerosene and other cooking fuels had also increased due to restrictions in LPG supply, Jacob said, adding that the state had 95.5 lakh ration card holders.
The Civil Supplies Commissioner had earlier requested the Centre to provide an additional 5,496 KL for the first quarter of 2026-27, the minister said.
Keralam was heading towards an acute kerosene shortage following the Centre’s reduction in its allocation, Jacob said. The quota for the October-December quarter has been retained at 40.68 lakh litres, against 56.76 lakh litres earlier, resulting in a shortfall of 16.08 lakh litres.
Under the existing allocation, around 5.94 lakh yellow-card holders are provided one litre of kerosene once every three months, while pink, blue and white-card holders get 0.5 litre each. However, with the quota nearly halved, it has become difficult to provide kerosene to all ration-card holders, he said.
Traditional fishermen require large quantities of kerosene for their boats depending on engine capacity.
The need to meet their requirements from the ration quota has further aggravated the shortage, the minister said, adding that many fishermen were now forced to buy kerosene from the open market at higher prices.
The Centre has also increased the price of ration kerosene along with reducing the allocation. It is currently being distributed through ration shops at Rs 71 to Rs 76 per litre, Jacob added. PTI LGK ADB
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