Kasargod: While petrol and diesel continue to surge crossing the three-digit mark every day, a petrol pump in a remote village in Kasaragod in Kerala is giving away three litres of free fuel to all autorickshaw drivers.
The price of gasoline at the pump on that particular day was 97.70 and diesel was ₹ 93.11 per litre. Abdulla Madumoole, who lives in Abu Dhabi, owns the Indian Oil fuel station. Kudukoli Pump is located in Perla, Enmakaje gram panchayat, on the Karnataka-Kerala border.
The New Indian Express reported that starting at 6.30 a.m. on Monday, June 14, it provided free gasoline and diesel. Abdulla said that the decision for the giveaway was taken to help autorickshaw drivers reeling under the lockdown and the daily increase in fuel prices.
Sanjeeva Maipady, who drove 15km from Neerchal told New Indian Express, “In my 37 years as an auto driver, no pump has ever given petrol and diesel for free. But I still got 2 litres for free." Sanjeeva says that apart from the increase in fuel prices, insurance premium to has increased from Rs 6,000 for a new autorickshaw to Rs 9,000 now.
After staying unchanged for a day, prices of petrol and diesel were hiked again on Friday, June 18, 2021, touching fresh record highs across the country. In the national capital, the petrol price rose by 27 paise while that of diesel too inched up 28 paise.
Petrol rate in Bengaluru today went past Rs 100 per litre mark for the first time ever, touching Rs 100.17 a litre, while diesel here climbed to Rs 92.97, according to the data available on Indian Oil Corporation’s website.