Petrol, diesel given for free in Madurai

December 20, 2013 10:42 am | Updated 10:46 am IST - MADURAI:

Customers queing up to get free petrol at a fuel pump in Madurai on Thursday. Photo: S. James

Customers queing up to get free petrol at a fuel pump in Madurai on Thursday. Photo: S. James

One litre of petrol, diesel or auto gas was offered free of cost for every litre of engine oil purchased at all 15 outlets of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in the city on Thursday. And the response to the offer led one to think that petrol certainly deserved to be called ‘liquid gold.’

“Car owners purchased five litres of engine oil and got five litres of free petrol or diesel. Similarly, truck drivers got up to 20 litres of diesel for free. It was a bonanza that many could not believe,” said R. Karthikeya Narayanan, proprietor of a fuel station at Ponmeni Bypass Road.

T. Arivazhagan, who purchased one litre of engine oil and got it filled in his two-wheeler on the spot, said: “I don’t remember exactly when I changed the engine oil. Still, I preferred to change it now because they offered petrol for free.”

BPCL’s Territory Manager B. Senthil Kumar said the response to the offer was “terrific” though it was the first time that the public sector oil company had come out with such an offer at all of its outlets in the city under the title ‘One Day Wonder.’

The company had released teaser advertisements through FM radio for over a week stating that December 19 is going to be a wonderful day.

Only on Wednesday, it announced why the day was going to be wonderful.

“The offer was not restricted to purchase of engine oil. Even those who purchased LPG hoses sold through BPCL distributors under the brand name of Suraksha at a cost of Rs.180 a piece were given vouchers entitling them to free petrol/diesel for Rs.50,” Mr.Kumar added.

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