Due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the global supply of oil and gas has been disrupted, due to which many countries of the world are facing fuel crisis. India is also facing this crisis. The central government is taking many steps to deal with this situation. In this connection, the government has now given temporary relaxation in petroleum safety and licensing rules to ease the supply of kerosene (kerosene) to homes.
According to the Gazette notification issued by the Central Government on March 29, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has allowed ad-hoc supply of Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) for 60 days under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in 21 states and union territories so that the common people do not face fuel shortage. These also include Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Under these changes, select petrol pumps operated by public sector oil marketing companies have been allowed to store and distribute kerosene. Each selected outlet will be able to store a maximum of 5,000 liters of kerosene and a maximum of two petrol pumps in each district will be designated for this.
The notification also said that dealers and vehicles involved in storage, transportation and distribution of kerosene have been exempted from certain licensing provisions of the Petroleum Rules, 2002, so as to speed up the supply chain and ensure last mile distribution. However, the government has clarified that kerosene will be supplied only for domestic use – such as cooking and lighting – to prevent its misuse.
Under this decision, kerosene supply through PDS is being temporarily resumed in those areas where it was earlier stopped in a phased manner, so that fast distribution can be ensured through the existing fuel retail network. During this period, safety guidelines and operational protocols issued by Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organization (PESO) will remain in force.
Let us tell you that the sale of kerosene in India was not completely banned across the country, rather it was reduced in a phased manner. Since 2015, the Central Government has launched the scheme through Ujjwala Yojana and Saubhagya Yojana. lpg And started promoting electricity connections. Also, the sale of subsidized kerosene (kerosene) through the Public Distribution System (PDS/Ration Shops) was gradually stopped in a phased manner. Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh stopped selling kerosene under the Public Distribution System (PDS) between 2018-2020 and declared themselves kerosene free.
The main objective behind stopping the sale of subsidized kerosene through PDS was to reduce pollution, stop adulteration in petrol/diesel and reduce the burden of subsidy. By 2020, its distribution network was almost exhausted in most places. In states where access to LPG and electricity was still limited, limited supply of kerosene was continued.
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