**Policy Summary: Kerosene Dealerships in India (as of July 1, 2025)**
As of July 1, 2025, there are 6,395 Public Distribution System (PDS) Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) agencies operating across India. The distribution of these agencies varies by state, with Maharashtra having the highest number (786) and Lakshadweep the lowest (1). A detailed state-wise breakdown is available in the annexure.
The Government of India allocates PDS Kerosene to States/Union Territories (UTs) on a quarterly basis, primarily for cooking, lighting, and special needs such as fisheries, melas, exhibitions, pandemics, and calamities. This allocation has been rationalized since 2010-11, with 21 States/UTs currently designated as PDS SKO-free. The Public Distribution Superior Kerosene Oil (PDS SKO) Allocation Policy guides this process. Individual States/UTs are responsible for the distribution of PDS Kerosene within their jurisdictions, determining the scale and criteria for distribution.
To support unviable PDS Kerosene dealers, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have amended domestic LPG distributor and retail outlet dealership selection guidelines, relaxing certain eligibility criteria to facilitate their participation in the selection process for alternative distributorships. OMCs have also implemented a policy to award Non-Domestic (ND) LPG Free Trade LPG (FTL) distributorships on a nomination basis, specifically aimed at rehabilitating PDS Kerosene dealers in Kerosene-free States/UTs and those with unviable SKO dealerships.
Key Entities Referenced
Dr. Faggan Singh Kulaste: Member of Lok Sabha who asked the unstarred question No. 914 regarding kerosene dealership.
PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS: The concerned ministry responsible for matters related to petroleum and natural gas.
SHRI SURESH GOPI: Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas who provided the answer to the Lok Sabha question.
Public Distribution Superior Kerosene Oil PDS SKO: Kerosene distributed under the Public Distribution System.
StatesUTs: Refers to States and Union Territories within India, the recipients of PDS Kerosene allocation.
Oil Marketing Companies OMCs: Companies involved in the marketing and distribution of petroleum products, responsible for amending dealership selection guidelines.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the question regarding kerosene dealership was raised.
Andaman Nicobar Islands: Union Territory of India
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 914
TO BE ANSWERED ON 24THJULY, 2025
Dealership o f Kerosene
914. Dr. Faggan Singh Kulaste:
पे(cid:367)ोिलयम और (cid:255)ाकृितक गैस मं(cid:253)ी
Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:
(a) the number of individuals who have been awarded kerosene dealership by the Government across
the country till date, State-wise;
(b) whether the supply of kerosene to those who were granted dealership has been discontinued and if
so, the details thereof; and
(c) whether any provision exists to continue operations for such discontinued dealerships and
if so, the time by which the Government plans to implement the same?
ANSWER
पे(cid:367)ोिलयम और (cid:255)ाकृितक गैस म(cid:253)ं ालय म(cid:164) रा(cid:186)य मं(cid:253)ी
( )
(cid:174)ी सरु ेश गोपी
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
(SHRI SURESH GOPI)
(a) As on 01.07.2025, there are 6395 Public Distribution Superior Kerosene Oil (PDS SKO) agencies
across the country. The State wise details is given as annexure.
(b) and (c) Government makes allocation of Public Distribution System (PDS) Kerosene to States/UTs on
quarterly basis. PDS Kerosene allocation to States/UTs has been rationalized since 2010-11, with
21 States/UTs currently PDS SKO Free.
Government has formulated the Public Distribution Superior Kerosene Oil (PDS SKO) Allocation
Policy under which Government makes allocation of Public Distribution System (PDS) Kerosene to
States/UTs on quarterly basis for cooking & lighting and for special needs (fisheries, mela,
exhibitions, pandemic, calamity etc.). Further distribution of PDS Kerosene within the State/UT
under PDS network is carried out by the concerned State/UT. Scale and criteria of the distribution is
accordingly, also decided by the respective State/UT.
In order to rehabilitate unviable PDS Kerosene dealers, domestic LPG distributor selection
guidelines/retail outlet dealership selection guidelines have been amended by Oil Marketing
Companies (OMCs) relaxing certain eligibility criteria to enable them to participate in the selection
process.
OMCs have also implemented policy on award of Non-Domestic (ND) LPG/ Free Trade LPG
(FTL) distributorship on nomination basis in order to rehabilitate PDS Kerosene dealers in
Kerosene freeStates/UT and unviable SKO dealers.
*****Annexure
Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) of the Lok Sabha unstarred question No. 914 asked by Dr. Faggan Singh
Kulaste, for answer on 24.07.2025 regarding “Dealership of Kerosene”
Number of PDS SKO Agency as
State
on 01.07.2025
Andaman & Nicobar Islands 2
Andhra Pradesh 328
Arunachal Pradesh 30
Assam 227
Bihar 349
Chandigarh 11
Chhattisgarh 105
Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu 7
Delhi 112
Goa 19
Gujarat 466
Haryana 150
Himachal Pradesh 25
Jammu and Kashmir 50
Jharkhand 109
Karnataka 376
Kerala 196
Ladakh 2
Lakshadweep 1
Madhya Pradesh 279
Maharashtra 786
Manipur 40
Meghalaya 31
Mizoram 27
Nagaland 19
Odisha 172
Puducherry 6
Punjab 232
Rajasthan 285
Sikkim 7
Tamil Nadu 392
Telangana 205
Tripura 48
Uttar Pradesh 758
Uttarakhand 73
West Bengal 470
Total 6395