By IANS,
New Delhi : Diesel for fishing boats will be available at subsidised rates, the oil ministry ordered Friday.
An official statement here said Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily has agreed that “fishermen are individual customer and not bulk customers for receiving supplies from oil marketing companies”.
“Supply to fishermen would be treated as retail supply and will be supplied at the price applicable for the other retail outlets of the OMCs with immediate effect,” it added.
Bulk users like railways, defence and state transport corporations pay more than Rs.10 per litre more for diesel they source directly from oil companies.
“The members of parliament cutting across party lines and various fishermen associations across the country have been highlighting hardships being faced by the poor fishermen consequent to the categorization of supply to fishermen under the bulk category,” the ministry said.
Diesel-run fishing boats are treated by oil companies as bulk users of the fuel and were charged more than the petrol pump price since the Jan 17 government decision to sell at market rates to bulk users.