The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre and oil PSUs to consider giving at least 10 per cent quota in LPG distributorship to kerosene dealers, who have to shut shop due to the 'kerosene-free Delhi' scheme envisaging complete switchover to cooking gas.
The kerosene dealers have moved the high court saying under the government's move to switch from kerosene to LPG, they have lost their livelihood and therefore, should be given preference in giving LPG distributorship.
Justice Manmohan today asked the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd to consider giving at least ten per cent quota to the Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) dealers while inviting bids for LPG distributorship.
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"Consider giving some quota...At least 15-20 per cent or ten per cent. This (Kerosene dealers) is a separate class in itself. Of course they will have to comply with the norms and get through the lottery system but give them quota," Justice Manmohan said while hearing a petition filed by the Petroleum Dealers Association through advocate Shashi Shanker.
The Delhi government was also impleaded as a party and the bench gave all the respondents six weeks' time to hold a meeting and decide the issue "expeditiously".
During the arguments, senior advocate A S Chandiok submitted for the petitioners that the government brought the scheme to make Delhi Kerosene free and came up with "Vision 2015" for increasing LPG connections to 5.5 crore till 2015 and a complete switchover from kerosene to LPG.
"For this the government and oil companies are giving LPG distributorship. I am not saying the 'Kerosene-free' scheme is bad. My question is that if a policy of the state deprives me of my livelihood, should it not give me an alternate source of income," Chandiok submitted.
