This Petrol pump in Tamil Nadu's Karur offering fuel for reciting Thirukkural couplets

In recent days, petrol and diesel prices have been rising continuously, due to which consumers across the country are facing difficulties. In a bid to help people, Valluvar Agency in Karur has come up with a novel idea of giving petrol free of cost for parents of the school students who are able to recite Thirukkural, couplets by famous Tamil poet and saint Thiruvalluvar.

Karur petrol pump's unique offer

The idea has been implemented at a petrol pump owned by Valluvar agencies in Nagampalli village in Aravakurichi and students can get half a litre of petrol for free if they recite 10 couplets and 1 litre for reciting 20 Thirukkural couplets. Children studying in classes 1 to 12 can avail the offer which is valid till April 30. 

Petrol and diesel prices on Monday were hiked for the seventh day in a row as a rally in international oil prices took retail rates in India to new highs. Petrol price was increased by 26 paise per litre and diesel by 29 paise, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

Petrol & diesel prices rise

This pushed retail rates, which differ from state to state depending on the incidence of local sales tax or VAT and freight charges, to their highest level. The hike took petrol price in Delhi to a record Rs 88.99 per litre and to a highest-ever rate of Rs 95.46 a litre in Mumbai.

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Diesel rate climbed to Rs 79.35 a litre in Delhi and to Rs 86.34 in Mumbai. Rajasthan, which levies the highest VAT on fuel in the country, had the highest petrol and diesel prices. In Sriganganagar town of the state, petrol soared to Rs 99.56 and diesel to Rs 91.48 per litre. Petrol crossed the Rs 91-mark in Chennai and was priced at Rs 91.19 per litre. Branded or additive mixed petrol on Sunday crossed Rs 100-mark at some places in states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

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The relentless hike in prices has been criticised by the opposition parties including Congress that has demanded an immediate cut in taxes to ease the burden on the common man. A six-hour bandh called by the party in Odisha affected normal life on Monday.

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Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week had told Parliament that the government is not considering a reduction in excise duty to cool rates from their record highs. Central and state taxes make up for over 61% of the retail selling price of petrol and about 56% of diesel.

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(With PTI inputs)