Chief Minister N. Rangasamy. File
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has requested the Union Petroleum Ministry to continue the supply of diesel to outlets owned by the Pondicherry State Fishermen Cooperative Federation at rates equivalent to the prevailing retail outlet prices.In a letter to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, the Chief Minister said to cater to the fuel requirements of mechanised fishing vessels, the federation operated fuel outlets in the Puducherry and Yanam regions of the Union Territory (UT).The outlets were established for supplying diesel to registered fishing vessels and they do not undertake commercial retail sales to the general public. The outlets supply 50 lakh litres of diesel annually for operating fishing vessels. The pricing mechanism applicable to consumer outlets has, in recent years, resulted in diesel being available at rates higher than those prevailing at retail outlets. Considering the hardships faced by fishermen, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited had extended a special arrangement, whereby diesel was supplied to the federation at rates equivalent to retail outlet prices. The arrangement was in force until March this year, the letter said.“Following the recent revision in diesel pricing, the difference between bulk consumer rates and retail outlet rates has widened considerably, leading to significant increase in operational costs of mechanised fishing vessels. Fuel constitutes the largest component of fishing expenditure and the present price differential has adversely affected the economic viability of fishing operations. Hence, I request your kind consideration for the continuation of the earlier arrangement of supplying diesel at rates equivalent to prevailing retail outlet prices,” the letter said. The Chief Minister also requested the Ministry to consider an appropriate special pricing mechanism or subsidy arrangement for supplying diesel to registered fishing vessels through cooperative consumer outlets. The consumer outlets operated by the federation were intended to serve the interests of registered fishermen only.CM writes to EAMIn another letter to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the Chief Minister said of the seven fishermen from Puducherry apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy in April this year, only six were released so far. A fisherman hailing from T.R. Pattinam, Keeshiyur, in the Karaikal region of the UT, was yet to be released, the letter said.“He is newly married and his aged parents need special care. I kindly request the Minister to take necessary steps with the Sri Lankan government for his early release,” the letter said. Published - June 05, 2026 04:13 pm IST
