Gujarat: Dahod fuel stations gain from Madhya Pradesh price difference

VADODARA: Dahod petrol pumps have been raking in the moolah these days, thanks to the unprecedented huge traffic from Madhya Pradesh. And the reason vehicles with MP registration don't seem to mind travelling that extra bit to this bordering district is that the difference in fuel prices between the two states is significant - while a litre of petrol saves them Rs 13, diesel saves around Rs 2 for the MP drivers.
In bordering areas of MP, petrol is now priced at around Rs 119 a litre, while diesel is around Rs 102.Against this, petrol comes for Rs 106 a litre in Dahod, while diesel costs around Rs 100.5 a litre.Hussain Pitolwala, who operates a petrol pump in Pitol across the border in MP, says that his business has been badly hit.
"Sales have gone down significantly. People here find it more economical to commute around eight to nine kilometers to Gujarat for fuel than pay the significantly huge difference. Again, commercial vehicles too fill diesel in Gujarat despite a lower difference in rates as they need in high quantities," he said.
Abhishek Jain, who operates a petrol pump in Bordi in Dahod, said that several people commute to Dahod from MP for work, treatment and other purposes.
“They prefer getting fuel in Dahod as it is cheaper here. The pumps here are benefiting and sales have seen a rise,” he said.
Mustafa Petrolwala, a petrol pump owner from Dahod, pointed out that another reason for the rush in Dahod was that petrol and diesel were not available in several pumps owned by private sector companies on the highway. “People come to this side of the border for this reason,” he said, adding that there was a significant difference in CNG prices too between the two states.
Milan Jaat from Meghnagar in MP had come to a fuel station in Bordi in Dahod to get petrol. “There is a difference of Rs 10 to 15 in petrol. We come to Gujarat and prefer to get petrol here as it is much cheaper,” he said.