The steep hike in kerosene prices has come as one more cruel blow for the traditional fisherfolk in the State who have been struggling due to various issues including the dwindling catch in recent months.
The price of kerosene increased by ₹19 per litre from ₹104 to ₹123 two weeks ago. The Matsyafed used to supply this to fisherfolk with a ₹25 subsidy per litre, which is transferred to the account of the card holder at the end of the month.
On Saturday, the price of the kerosene supplied to the State Civil Supplies Corporation was also increased from ₹59 to ₹81 per litre. As a part of the supply to fishers through the Matsyafed comes through this source, the latest increase is also bound to hit them. The price of kerosene supply to the Civil Supplies Corporation was at ₹22 per litre as recently as in 2020. On top of this, the Union government has also reduced the supply of kerosene to Kerala by 40%. Earlier this year, the Matsyafed had reduced the amount of kerosene provided per permit every month from 129 litres to 89 litres due to the reduced supply, forcing many fishers to depend on the black market for kerosene.
"The subsidised kerosene that we get now is insufficient even for a single fishing trip of 35 to 40 kilometres. I have three boats, with 5-6 workers in each. Now, we manage to get out one or two boats. Till last year, the expense for a fishing trip from afternoon to the next morning used to come to around 7,000. Now, it has increased to ₹10-12,000 due to the hike in kerosene prices. Quite a few have stopped going out to the sea because losses are mounting. If we don't get a good catch after spending so much on fuel, we will be forced to borrow money to sustain," says S. Anthony from Valiyathura in Thiruvananthapuram.
Across the State, there are 25,000-30,000 permit holders who can purchase kerosene from the Matsyafed's kerosene pumps. A drive for verification of cards was conducted recently after several years.
"Demand has certainly fallen with the hike in prices. Our pump usually witnesses sales of 1 to 1.5 lakh litres in the normal months, with dips in the lean season. We can directly see the hardships faced by the fishers who despite the hike, sometimes take risks and end up in debts. The Matsyafed purchases the bulk of its kerosene at market prices and provides it at a subsidy. The increase in prices of the kerosene provided through the Civil Supplies Corporation will further make it hard for the Matsyafed," says the manager of kerosene bunk on condition of anonymity.
Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian, in a statement on Sunday, said that the Union government was challenging traditional fisherfolk in the State with the drastic hike in kerosene prices. The State would require approximately 2 lakh kilolitres of subsidised kerosene for the traditional fishing boats annually. However, with the constant cuts in supply of subsidised kerosene from the Centre, the State was unable to meet even 10% of this. Though two letters were sent to the Union Petroleum Minister to increase the kerosene share, there had been no positive response, he said.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil said that he would meet the Union Petroleum Minister in Delhi to demand for an increase in kerosene supply to the State. Kerala had, unlike some other States, collected its entire share of kerosene in the previous years. Hence the 40% cut in its share this year was unjustifiable, the Minister said.
