Jayalalithaa urges PM to raise kerosene quota

Chennai - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Monday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to cooperate in mitigating the suffering of the poor and said the meagre increase in the state's subsidised kerosene quota was inadequate.

In a letter to the prime minister Sunday, the text of which was released to the media here, Jayalalithaa said: "As Tamil Nadu's public distribution system kerosene requirement is 65,140 kilo litre per month, I once again request you to allot at least 52,806 kilo litre per month which was the allotment at the time when my government assumed power in the state."

"I hope you will also co-operate with me in mitigating the sufferings of the rural poor and the vulnerable population in the state," she wrote.

Recalling her earlier letters and memorandum requesting him to increase the subsidised kerosene allocation to the state, she said: "The sudden drastic reduction of the allotment of kerosene to the state... caused great hardship."

Referring to the central government's decision to increase the monthly kerosene allotment by 3,031 kilo litre, Jayalalithaa said: "The increase in allotment now effected is negligible when compared to the drastic reduction effected by the government of India from 52,806 kilo litre in May 2011 to 44,580 kilo litre in June 2011, which was further reduced to 39,429 kilo litre from April 2012."