The Karnataka government has issued an order to allow the sale of white kerosene in open market.
With a view to ease the availability of market-priced kerosene, the union government has freed sale of non-PDS kerosene from regulatory control.
The union government has amended the Kerosene (Restriction on Use and Fixation of Ceiling Price) Order, 1993, to free all activities of storage, transportation and sale of white kerosene (market-priced kerosene or non-PDS kerosene) from regulatory control.
Subsidised kerosene sold through public distribution system (PDS) is blue in colour while the market priced fuel is colourless.
It is expected that this will reduce demand for diverted PDS kerosene by improving availability of non-PDS kerosene in the open market and will thus meet the demand of kerosene for various legitimate end uses for the industry and for individual consumption by those who can afford it at market price.
While PDS kerosene is priced at Rs 15.14 per litre, the non-subsidised or market-priced fuel comes for Rs 27.68 a litre.
In this regard, the Kerosene (Restriction on Use and Fixation of Ceiling Price) Amendment Order, 2015 has been published in the Gazette of India vide GSR.41 (E) dated January 19, 2015.