Kundapura : Kerosene Oil is a rationed item on BPL cards in Fair price shops, and in great demand by those who do not (or cannot afford to) buy cooking gas cylinders for domestic use. But the bane of this much-needed oil is that it is stored up in underground wells built by anti-social black marketeers for sale at higher prices to make extra money. Such a case has been reported from Yuvaka Sangha in Mundalli of Bhatkal (NK) taluk on Aug 1, where the fair price shop of some youths is learning black-marketing methods. The date for such (no 2) sale has been selected, that too a Sunday, on Aug 1.
An autorickshaw hired by 2 persons from Shiroor, holding cans and a barrel, filled them at the FP shop and they were about to leave, when local rural folks smelled something fishy and caught the illegal buyers.
A food (civil supplies) inspector Shankarappa came on the scene and promised to seize the vehicle with materials, but local vigilant people did not listen and insisted on police registering a complaint on the find.
A complaint was made by Govinda Mogera in Bhatkal rural station against the PDS offenders (fair price shop no, 6 employee Krishna Hallera, auto driver Chandra Kottari and Sirur citizen Padmayya Mogera). The SI of rural station took the three accused into custody and produced them in a local court.