Pune/Mumbai: For the first time, Pune has been declared kerosene-free with the sale of subsidised cooking and lighting fuel being stopped in the city from this year completely under the Public Distribution System (PDS). After a initiative by the department, nine districts and 39 talukas (towns) became kerosene-free in the last few months. 

Many households have been shifted to Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) to help declare Pune a kerosene-free city. “No further distribution of subsidised kerosene was done in Pune from August 2018 onward,” the Food and Civil Supply Minister Girish Bapat said. 

The Food and Civil Supply Ministry is working for the last few months to make the towns in Maharashtra kerosene-free. “The ministry decided to facilitate the households presently using kerosene oil by switching over to LPG,” Bapat added. 

To facilitate the kerosene beneficiaries in getting LPG connections, enrollment camps were organised by the department and the fuel retailers to provide hassle-free LPG connections to the citizens of the city. 
The entire state of Maharashtra would be made kerosene-free in the next few days and grants would be given to poor families for taking gas connections. 

Pune city and other nearby towns of Pune also became kerosene-free. Talegaon, Lonavla, Rajgurunagar, Chakan, Alandi and Pimpri also became kerosene-free in the last few days. 

With a basic aim to provide smoke-free and healthy environment while cooking meals, the Maharashtra government had decided to provide free-of-cost LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. LPG connections were being released to the eligible families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in the state.

After implementation of the zero kerosene policy, city supply of kerosene has gone down by 14,000 kilolitres per year and it has saved the State government Rs 20 crore per year. On the other hand, the State also increased the subsidy to the ration shop owners by 50 paise.