Denied fuel on credit, Puducherry minister R Kamalakannan forgoes car, rides bus

Agriculture Minister of Puducherry R Kamalakannan had to forgo his official car and had to travel by bus from Karaikal to Puducherry to attend a cabinet meeting on Friday, after a cooperative store denied fuel on credit for his vehicle.

Official sources said the cooperative supermarket - Amudhasurabi - remained unpaid over the last five years and there were dues from government departments and also from the office of Council of Ministers for the fuel supplied to official vehicles or for supply of other consumer products from its provisions stores.

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The supermarket owed salaries and allowances to its employees for the last six months as it has been facing financial crunch because of outstanding from government departments.

The management of the supermarket took a firm decision to stop supplying fuel to the government departments and also to official vehicles of the ministers from January 2, said an official source.

Finding that the cooperative institution rejected supply of diesel to his car when it was taken to an outlet in Karaikal by the driver, the Minister on Friday decided to travel by bus to reach Puducherry as he had to attend a cabinet meeting.

He told reporters that he did not want to be absent at the cabinet meeting.

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"I take all difficulties in my stride," the Minister added.

Government departments owed as much as Rs 2.5 crore for last several months to Amudhasurabi and hence there is no point in continuing supply of fuel on credit even to the official vehicles of Ministers, official sources said. Consequently, the cooperative institution decided to stop supplying fuel on credit and also displayed its decision on a public notice at its diesel and petrol outlets in Puducherry.