NEW DELHI: Firing yet another salvo at the Delhi Government, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ram Babu Sharma has expressed serious concern over shortage of kerosene and rations in the Capital's Public Distribution System (PDS) and sought details of what is being done to meet the situation during the festive months.

In a letter to Food and Supplies Minister Raj Kumar Chauahan, the DPCC president also expressed concern over the Delhi Government's decision to drastically reduce the kerosene quota allocation for people living below the poverty line from 22 litres to only 6 litres per ration card. This, he said, was against the basic policy of the Congress and the directions given by the party president Sonia Gandhi and demanded that the original quota be restored at once as this was the general demand echoed by the party legislators during the Vidhan Sabha session last month.

Pointing to failure of the Food and Supplies Department to ensure regular supply of rations to the poor, Mr. Sharma said this had led to strong resentment against the Government among the people living in slum clusters, unauthorised colonies and rural areas that have been worst hit by the inaction of the Government. He also reminded Mr. Chauhan that he had given an assurance during last month's Assembly session that the Government was also worried about the situation pertaining to shortage of kerosene oil and curtailment of the quota and would undertake steps to set right the situation.

Unfortunately, no such steps have been taken till date and it was causing untold misery to the people and undue harm to the image of the party and Government stating that such a situation should be avoided at any cost, he added. Mr. Sharma said the DPCC had been receiving a large number of representations during the last one month about the kerosene shortage in this festival month and asked Mr. Chauhan to issue immediate instructions to the Food and Supplies Department to take measures to cool down the situation so that people get their quota of food grains and kerosene oil. He also demanded restoration of the 22-litre quota for the poor at the earliest so that people are able to celebrate Diwali, Gurupurab and Christmas without any problem.

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