Old flame, new game  TK Arun, TNN Dec 2, 2004, 11.39pm IST  Is
there any possible synergy in the same minister presiding over
panchayati raj (local government) and petroleum? There is,
unlikely though it may sound.  And that synergy is mediated by
subsidies. Here's a proposal for administering the kerosene
subsidy in a scheme that involves panchayats and information
technology.  Currently, kerosene is sold through the public
distribution system at a price of Rs 9 per litre. The extent of
subsidy per litre is around Rs 12, of which less than one rupee
comes from the budget and the balance is borne by the state-
owned oil companies on their balance sheets.  However, the cost
of the kerosene subsidy spreads across the entire transport
sector, and public health suffers, besides.  The price
difference between kerosene and diesel, in combination with
general collapse of governance, results in extensive
adulteration of diesel with kerosene. This results in reduced
engine life of the full fleet of trucks in the countr