Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee takes oath as a legislator at the West Bengal Assembly in Kolkata, on May 28, 2016. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)
Kolkata, June 10 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday requested the Centre to retain the state's allocation of kerosene to the same level as the last fiscal, after the quota was reduced by about 4,000 kilolitre a month from April.
In a letter to Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Chief Minister said the curtailment in kerosene allocation would cause "grave distress" to the consumers from remote villages and tribal areas and adversely hit SC/ST, minority and the economically-weaker population.
"I would request you to kindly take urgent decision in this matter and maintain the allocation of 78,600 kilolitre to the state at the level it existed in March 2016," the letter said.
The Centre had reduced state's kerosene allocation by 4,000 kilolitre to 74,608 kilolitre a month from this April.
Banerjee reminded the Centre that the state government cancelled 1.41 crore fake ration cards so as to provide the benefit to the targeted population.
"It may be also pointed out that West Bengal has already taken strong steps and cancelled 1.41 crore fake and bogus ration cards to ensure the benefit reaches only the targeted population," the letter said.
