Karwar: Fishermen operating traditional country boats staged a protest outside the District Deputy Commissioner’s office in Karwar against the steep rise in kerosene prices, which they say has severely impacted their livelihood.

According to reports, the demonstration was led by MLC Ganapathi Ulvekar, during which a memorandum was submitted to Deputy Commissioner Lakshmi Priya, urging the government to provide kerosene at subsidised rates.

Fishermen leader Devaraya Sail said that kerosene, which was once available at ₹35 per litre, has now surged to ₹117 per litre. He pointed out that while fishermen currently receive around 200 litres of kerosene per month at subsidised rates for each boat, the same quantity is consumed in a single fishing trip. “The situation has worsened to the extent that operational costs now exceed the income from fishing, making the occupation economically unviable,” he said.

Deputy Director of the Fisheries Department, Prateek Shetty, who visited the protest site, stated that kerosene attracts 18% GST. He noted that if kerosene is brought under essential commodities, it could significantly benefit fishermen. He assured the protesters that the matter would be taken up with the Director of the Fisheries Department to draw the government’s attention.

It may be recalled that about four years ago, kerosene was supplied to fishermen at concessional rates under a joint initiative of the Central and State governments. In 2023, after Mankal Vaidya assumed charge as Fisheries Minister, a system was introduced to procure industrial kerosene and supply it to fishermen with state subsidy. Initially priced at ₹64 per litre, the cost has recently risen due to global oil price fluctuations triggered by geopolitical tensions in Central Asia. Industrial kerosene is now priced at ₹152 per litre, and even after a state subsidy of ₹35 per litre, fishermen are paying ₹117 per litre.

Hundreds of fishermen, including Prasanna B. Sail, Vishnu Salgaonkar, Ullas Devu Salgaonkar, Santosh Tandel, Dinesh S. Pednekar, and Somnath Salgaonkar, participated in the protest, voicing strong opposition to the price hike.