Ground Report: Narayanpet’s all women-led BPCL petrol pump inspires change

Narayanpet: Have you heard of the country’s first petrol pump run entirely by Self-Help Group (SHG) women? Here’s one that many people are familiar with: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Narayanpet, run solely by women around the clock.

From the person who fills fuel to the cashier and the manager, the entire staff are women. All employees are trained in their respective job details needed to run the station. On February 21, chief minister A Revanth Reddy inaugurated the all-women petrol pump on six guntas of land near Singaram Gate opposite the new collectorate.

Self-help group

The Zilla Mahila Samakhya (ZMS), a federation of self-help groups, owns and operates the station with the support of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), which was allocated by BPCL. The BPCL has set up the petrol pump with an estimated cost of Rs 1.30 lakh, out of which, the ZMS has also invested Rs 20 lakh for land levelling and working capital.

Motivation to keep learning

NewsMeter visited the all-women petrol pump in Narayanpet to find out more about the operations. “I am very happy to work here as it has become a need of the hour for women to work these days to ensure a smooth running of the household. Everyone should be motivated to learn throughout their lives, especially young women and girls. Everyone needs exposure to the outside world so they can care for their families when necessary,” said ZMS president Chandrakala Kotakonda, who is managing the petrol pump.

Speaking more about the role of women in the world, Chandrakala said, “I am aware of how important it is for women to be self-sufficient in the modern world. I want to encourage all women not to be scared to work in the field. Meeting and interacting with a wide range of people while standing and working all day is difficult, but it is made simpler when done with good intentions.”

When asked about how this initiative came to being, she explained that during a meeting with their SHG group members, they explored ways to become self-sufficient and develop entrepreneurship skills among themselves, as most of them are homemakers. Almost one-and-a-half years ago, Narayanpet former collector Koya Sree Harsha came up with an initiative to set up an all-women petrol pump. Six guntas of land were registered in the name of DRDA and ZMS, and an agreement was made with the BPCL to set up a petrol pump. BPCL would pay Rs 10,000 per month as the lease amount, and the lease period is 20 years, she said.

Collector put the project on priority list

“While the idea was in the pipeline, the collector was transferred, and we all assumed that it would not progress further. However, collector Sikta Patnaik, who assumed charge in June, pursued the initiative with the utmost priority and ensured that the land was ready for the all-women petrol pump in Narayanpet. Altogether, nine people were employed, including seven women and two men, to assist us for a few days during the nights. Each will receive a salary of Rs 11,000 per month,” Chandrakala said.

Jagadeeswari, a saleswoman at the ZMS petrol pump, said, “I am delighted to work at a petrol pump run entirely by women to provide a better life for my family. Every day, I meet a lot of individuals at the petrol pump, which brings me happiness and allows me to learn a lot. Nowadays, there isn’t a single field where women aren’t demonstrating their value.”

“I am delighted to see women working here. Our discussions about women’s empowerment are yielding results, thanks to the Telangana State government for motivating women to advance in life. I believe this is the first petrol pump in Narayanpet and Telangana to employ only women workers. I applaud the women at the pump for their bravery and willingness to work,” said Vishnuvardhan, a customer at the petrol pump.

Unique business model

Narayanpet District Collector Sikta Patnaik said that the SHG all-women petrol pump serves as an example of a unique business model to make women self-reliant and empowered in society.

“After one year of intensive work at the site and training at the ZMS, the petrol pump was inaugurated by CM A Revanth Reddy. At present, around Rs 3 lakh per day in sales have been reported at the petrol pump since its inception. People are filling fuel for the vehicles as it belongs to the government, trusting its quality, and moreover the price of petrol here is Rs 21 paise less than other pumps,” she said.

Elaborating on the revenue earned by the petrol pump, the collector said that around Rs 30 lakh in revenue was earned from February 21. On average, around 3,400 litres each of diesel and petrol is sold at the petrol pump per day. The BPCL is paying Rs 2 commission per litre on diesel and Rs 3.80 commission per litre on petrol. In all, around Rs 18,000 per day commission is expected for both diesel and petrol. Of the total revenue, around Rs 1.10 lakh would be spent on monthly salaries for the staff and Rs 20,000 per month for the petrol pump maintenance, she said.

Relying on other functioning models

Sikta Patnaik further said, “We conducted a study on the functioning of the petrol pumps throughout the country and found that an MoU entered with oil companies is a profitable initiative as seen with the State Police, Department of Jails who have been running petrol pumps in the state. We have studied their functioning models.”

The collector said that on average, Rs 4 lakh net income per month is expected after deducting the fuel purchase and other maintenance charges. The amount would be credited to the joint bank account of DRDA and ZMS. The State government would decide how to spend the earnings from the petrol pump.

The next step is rice mills

“We are currently hand-holding the SHG women on behalf of the district administration with regard to sales and operations and maintenance of accounts at the petrol pump. Buoyed by the response from all women petrol pumps, other SHG groups approached us to establish similar petrol pumps in other viable locations in the district. While a few others seek the support to establish rice mills on behalf of their SHG groups,” Sita Patnaik said.