DINDIGUL: Tribals and villagers in Kodaikanal expressed frustration over irregular supply of kerosene in Public Distribution System (PDS) shops for the past few months.
Some villagers allege that they get only half a litre, while others claim that there has been no supply for many months.K Dhayanidhi, former president of Pachalur Panchayat, said, “There are 600 families in our panchayat and most of them are tribals. Many have LPG cylinders, but that doesn’t mean they should stop getting kerosene, as it helps them burn wood. Every family regardless of their financial position has firewood as an alternative. For the last few months, there has been no supply of kerosene from PDS shops in our locality.”
K Kannan, a former Adukkam Panchayat president said, “For the past few months, we have been getting only half a litre of kerosene. Despite several complaints, no action has been taken.”
K Bhagyalaxmi, former president of Vilpatti Panchayat told TNIE, “Our village is located 10 kilometres away from Kodaikanal city and we are connected with the urban segment. Almost every household has an LPG connection. As a result, the kerosene limit was reduced to 1 litre. Many Paliyar tribes who use LPGs have just one cylinder. They depend on kerosene and firewood for cooking in case the gas runs out. Officials must ensure regular supply. The officials promised to check individual allocation in each shop and dismissed it as a minor allocation issue.”
Speaking to TNIE, District Supply Officer (Dindigul) K Anbazhagan said, “We are very strict and prompt in the supply of kerosene in Kodaikanal. Besides, there is no scarcity in any parts of the hilly areas. There could be some allocation issues in some PDS shops. We will check the allocation in each segment in every PDS shop in Kodaikanal.”