Centre has reduced quota of essential commodities to HP: Min

The allocation was being made on the basis 2001 Census, which was much less than the requirement, he said.

Due to the "indifferent attitude of the Centre," thousands of Above Poverty Line (APL) consumers of the state were getting 9 kgs rice and 18 kgs flour per month on a ration card instead of 15 kgs rice and 20 kgs flour, he claimed.

The Union government had prescribed a quota of levy sugar at 700 grams per person every month, but the sate was only getting 4,698 MT as against the requirement of 5,317 MT.

He also claimed that before April, 2009, the state was getting 5,411 KL of kerosene oil and this had been reduced to 2,208 KL per month.

The state was getting 1,762 loads of LPG against the requirement of 2,230 loads.

Dhawala expressed concern over the "reduction" of quotas of essential commodities over the last few years and urged the Centre to restore it "as the situation was becoming very grim."