Collectors told to promptly renew permits for kerosene dealers, says Bhujbal

Nashik: Food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Saturday said district collectors across Maharashtra have been directed to fast-track the renewal of permits for both wholesale and retail kerosene dealers. The decision follows Centre's move to make kerosene available through petrol pumps amid a shortage of commercial LPG.Nashik district has 127 wholesale kerosene dealers and around 3,600 retail dealers engaged in the trade. "We are reactivating all the resale and wholesale dealers who were earlier involved in supplying kerosene through fair price shops under the public distribution system (PDS). They already hold valid licences and collectors have now been instructed to renew their permits at the earliest," Bhujbal said while speaking to reporters.The minister said govt had also begun the process of transferring permits to the legal heirs of deceased licence holders. "The procedure will begin soon. Dealers simply need to submit their applications to the respective offices," Bhujbal said.In villages lacking kerosene dealers, fair price shops will be issued fresh licences to ensure last-mile delivery once distribution resumes. "This is to make sure the supply reaches even the last person in the village," Bhujbal said, adding that penalties for delayed renewal applications, pending for the last two to five years, would be waived. "Such cases will be processed at the district level itself to ensure the system is fully prepared for the upcoming distribution," he said.