MP Govt moots setting up kerosene pumps

Bhopal, July 28 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh Government is mooting setting up of kerosene pumps -- like diesel and petrol pumps -- for ensuring easy availability of the fuel.

State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Gopal Bhargava told UNI that the it is proposed to set up kerosene pumps on the lines of Gujarat, where similar pumps had come up.

A team of officials would soon visit Rajkot and Jamnagar in Gujarat to study the scheme.

Under the scheme, kerosene could be made available to people through underground tanks like in case of diesel and petrol pumps.

He said a decision would be taken only after considering various aspects and policy matters into consideration.

Mr Bhargava said he had written to Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sharad Pawar demanding providing cash benefit instead of food materials to BPL families under the PDS.

He said though the state had a strong and effective mechanism for the PDS in place, several poor families had to bear the burnt of discrepancies under the system.

He added that he would write similar letters to Food Ministers in other states in this regard.

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