The West Bengal government has relaxed restrictions on the sale of diesel in containers and barrels for key sectors, including agriculture, healthcare and the tea industry, after concerns that the curbs were disrupting essential services and day-to-day operations.
Announcing the decision on Sunday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the government was committed to ensuring the smooth functioning of people's lives and the state's economy.
In a post on X, Adhikari said the recent restrictions on supplying diesel in containers had created serious difficulties for farmers, hospitals and agencies providing emergency services.
"Our hardworking farmer brothers, various hospitals and emergency service providers were facing extreme difficulties in carrying out their work. To protect public interest, the West Bengal government intervened immediately," he said.
The Chief Minister said the state government had directed major oil marketing companies to exempt critical sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, food supply, public utility services and tea gardens from the restrictions on diesel sales.
With the relaxation, individuals, organisations and consumers associated with these essential sectors will be able to purchase diesel in containers or barrels and transport it without difficulty, he said.
The government has also relaxed the daily ceiling on fuel supply for such consumers.
"For uninterrupted access to diesel, customers will only have to produce basic identity documents at fuel stations," Adhikari said, adding that the move was aimed at preventing disruptions to essential services and economic activity.
The decision comes after stakeholders from the agriculture sector and other key industries raised concerns over the impact of restrictions on bulk diesel procurement. The curbs had been imposed by the previous Trinamool Congress government.
(With inputs from PTI)