Lok Sabha Question No. 2054 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-14
Subject: Kerosene Oil Prices
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Krupal Balaji Tumane, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2054 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14 DECEMBER, 2023

## Kerosene Oil Prices

## †2054. SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE: SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

## पेोलयम और ाक ृतक गैस मंी

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has data of increase in Kerosene oil prices during the last five years and the current year and if so, the details thereof, year-wise;
- (b) the reasons for the recent increase in prices;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to increase the quota of Kerosene oil to States;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and  if not, the reasons therefor, State/UT-wise  including Maharashtra;
- (e) whether the Government also proposes to reduce the quota of Kerosene oil to States; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## पेोलयम और ाक ृतक गैस मंालय म राय मंी ( ी रामेश ् वर तेल )

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) to (f): Government makes allocation of Public Distribution System (PDS) Kerosene for cooking  and  lighting  purpose  only  on  quarterly  basis  to  States/UTs.  Government  vide  order dated 21st August 2012, has empowered States/ UTs to draw an allocation of one month's quota of PDS Kerosene at Non-Subsidized rates during each financial year for special needs such as natural  calamities,  religious  functions,  fisheries,  various  yatras  etc.  Annual  allocation  of  NonSubsidised  PDS  Kerosene  is  done  by  Petroleum  Planning  &  Analysis  Cell  (PPAC)  in  the beginning  of  each  financial  year.  States/UTs  may  seek  further  additional  allocation  after exhausting available quota. Effective 1 March, 2020, the retail selling price of PDS Kerosene is being maintained at nil under-recovery level on pan India basis.

Number of active LPG domestic connections has gone up from 14.52 crore on 01.04.2014 to 31.5 crore in July 2023, taking the LPG coverage in the country from 55.9% in 2014 to near saturation now. Electricity coverage in the country is also near saturation. Further, as of 30.10.2023, there are about 1.17 crore Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections. In view of this progress, Government has been rationalising Kerosene allocation to States/UTs since 2010-11 considering the polluting nature of Kerosene and taking into account, factors such as increase in domestic LPG/PNG connections, electricity coverage, non-lifting of PDS Kerosene quota by the concerned States/UTs etc. Till date, 12 States/UTs have declared themselves as Kerosene free.

To further encourage LPG consumption, w.e.f. 21 st May, 2022, Government has been providing a  budgetary  support  for  targeted  subsidy  of  Rs.  200  per  14.2  Kg  LPG  cylinder  for  Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries for upto 12 refills a year for years 2022-23 and 2023-24. Moreover, w.e.f.  5 th October, 2023, the targeted subsidy has been further increased to Rs. 300 per 14.2 Kg LPG cylinder for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries.

The State of Maharashtra has been allocated 1872 KL each for Q1, Q2 and Q3 of 2023-24.

The Retail Selling Prices (RSP) of PDS Kerosene at Mumbai since 2018-19 as on 1 st April of each year are given below:

(Rs/ltr)

| Year       |   Average RSP of PDS Kerosene at Mumbai |
|------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 01.04.2018 |                                   23.96 |
| 01.04.2019 |                                   30.87 |
| 01.04.2020 |                                   25.72 |
| 01.04.2021 |                                   36.78 |
| 01.04.2022 |                                   76.36 |
| 01.04.2023 |                                   64.68 |
| 01.12.2023 |                                   68.96 |

Source: IOCL

x-x-x-x-x