Every time you buy petrol, diesel, you also pay for toilet at fuel pump

Mumbai: When you purchase petrol or diesel you also pay for toilet and drinking water facilities at fuel pumps, as conditions for allotment of petrol pumps make provision of these facilities a compulsory practice, according to a report in The Times of India.

So, next time you go to a fuel station to fill empty tanks of your vehicles, make it sure that you don't forget to check whether the pump owner is  providing this facility or not. After all, you are paying for it.

The provision was incorporated for raising money for maintenance of toilets at fuel pumps, as revenue received through fuel sale is not enough and does not suffice to meet that 'extra' requirement, the report adds.

Petroleum Ministry and petrol pump owners say that this provision does exist in petroleum rules. Fuel pump owners say monthly income received from sale of fuel is not sufficient, as part of it not enough to be diverted for these kind of activities.

According to the ministry concerned, building toilets and putting in place drinking water units at petrol pumps is mandatory. TOI quoted ministry officials as saying that they are taking actions  against erring pump owners under relevant provisions of law.

Ajay Bansal, president of All India Petroleum Dealers Association, says a petrol pump on an average sells about 1.7 lakh litres of petrol and diesel. "On that they get about Rs 9,000 as commission for maintenance of toilets," he said.

On top of that, the facility requires three people to man, clean and maintain it, and also there is extra cost of water supply and some paraphernalia is also required, so the set up does not seem to be workable, he adds.