THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There has been no let up in the black marketers siphoning off kerosene being supplied by Matyafed to fishermen and sell it back to them at higher prices in Thiruvananthapuram district. This happens despite the government recently establishing 13 bunks across the district to distribute kerosene directly to the beneficiaries.
The Varkala police which seized 2,200 litre of kerosene on Saturday is unlikely to make much headway in busting the mafia as it makes use of the loopholes in the system and enjoys the patronage of a section of officials.
As per norms, fishermen get between 120 and 200 litres of subsidised colourless Kerosene depending on the size of boat engines they have. However, the mafia gets the fishermen mortgage their permits and collect the kerosene in bulk with the help of corrupt officials. They then sell this kerosene to fishermen at higher rates.
“While the subsidised kerosene comes for '26.50, the same kerosene is sold back to fishermen for over '56,” said a senior police officer. “Most times sub-agents collect it in bulk claiming that they are taking kerosene for a group of fishermen whose boats now go for fishing from harbours in another district. Officials who are supposed to give it to beneficiaries take bribe and give it to agents. When police takes them to court, mafia produces original permit holders who will testify that the kerosene was secured for them.”
Many of the permit-holders do not have engine anymore but continues to procure kerosene at subsidised rates. Matsyafed director R. Austin Gomez said only around 16,400 people receive kerosene for engines though there are around 20,000 engines. The government has provided around 3,000 new engines in the last four years.
“The fact is that some deserving fishermen do not receive their subsidised non-public distribution system kerosene,” he said adding that a Matsyafed probe is on in the Varkala case. While kerosene is seized on road at places like Poovar and Varkala, most of the time the mafia transports it via sea-routes.
