P. Usha Rani, an assistant at a petrol bunk in the town, has earned the unique distinction of completing more than a decade of service in a petrol pump, hitherto a male bastion.
Inspired by her spirited pursuit of being financially self-reliant a few other women also forayed into this ‘male only’ field by joining as assistants in several other petrol filling stations in the town.
Driven by financial problems, Usha, who is now in her late 40s, joined the petrol bunk near the famous Sri Gunti Malleswara Swamy temple in the town as an assistant over ten years ago.
Spirit of hard work“After completing my degree here, I took up this job due to financial compulsions. At no point of time have I felt this job to be inferior to any other occupation as it involved dignity of labour and above all contentment to serve vehicle owners by filling fuel with diligence,” says Usha. My father, who was a dance teacher, imbibed in me the spirit of hard work and team work, recalls Usha, who hails from Kuchipudi village in Krishna district.
Usha, who remained a spinster, earned wide accolades from the management of the petrol bunk as well as vehicle-users for her service-oriented attitude.
Punctuality and dedication“She is very punctual in attending to her duties and known for performing the designated task with utmost dedication. She maintains constant attention to ensure accurate meter reading,” compliments one of her colleagues at the petrol bunk.
“I joined this petrol bunk as an assistant to eke out a living,” says Mahmooda Begum, another assistant at the petrol pump. “I consider the duty here as a noble occupation to support my family. We have to be always attentive to discharge our designated duty and clear the rush of vehicles promptly,” she says.
