The oil ministry?is planning a scheme under which fuel will be delivered at home like food items and LGP gas. According to reports this will be done through the vehicles carrying petroleum products which can deliver the required things at the doorsteps.
"Suppose you leave for work at 9 am. So you go to the portal, book your delivery, make online payment and say that you want the fuel delivered at 8 am the next day. It will be done before you leave home," oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan told TOI on Friday.
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Pradhan said the idea is to have "mini petrol pumps" on wheels to increase the level of convenience for people.
"SUVs nowadays have fuel tank capacity of 70-80 litres.Think of a small tanker with a capacity to refuel 4-5 such SUVs visiting your (housing) society. It will be a great doorstep convenience."
Asked about the safety of running petrol pumps on wheels, the minister said these will be vetted by the sectoral safety regulator, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation.
"After all, aren't big cars and SUVs moving on roads with large fuel tanks? Aren't big tankers moving on the road? All of them are certified. So will be these small tanker-dispensers."?
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The initiative announced at Friday's meeting of Parliament's consultative committee meeting, is the latest in a series of consumer-friendly measures introduced by the oil ministry in the last three years under Pradhan's watch. The measures include digital booking and payments of LPG connections and refills.
Beyond the consumer, the move will create a fresh segment of jobs in the oil retail market, particularly in the rural areas where farmers have to drive their tractors etc for miles to fetch diesel from a petrol pump that is usually near the highway or state road. It will also break the stranglehold of petrol pump dealers on the retail market.