Karnataka motorists buy in Goa, sell at black market prices in Karnataka
Petrol pumps in Canacona arestruggling to keep full stocks, because of a deluge of petrol guzzlers fromneighbouring Karnataka. A nosedive in petrol prices in Goa, has made the salesof pumps in Canacona bordering karwar tough sky high.
Canacona pumps see two kinds ofvehicles on a daily basis. Lines of cars with KA plates and the tanker thatcomes to refill the stations daily.
Motorists in Karwar haveconverted the decision on reduction of VAT and excise duty on petrol in Goa,into a business proposition.
A litre of petrol costs Rs 54.72in Goa, while it costs Rs 73.85 a litre in Karwar. The Rs 19 difference per litrerate is a big draw.
The motorists from Karwar driveto a nearby petrol pump in Goa to tank up their vehicles, said some petrol pumpattendants in Canacona. They then go back to Karwar drain the petrol from theirtanks and come back to Goa for a refill. They sell the petrol purchased in Goa forRs 65 a litre in Karwar. That’s a cool profit of Rs 10 per litre.
Pollem, the nearest village, inGoa is 14 kms from Karwar city. The petrol pumps here see a huge inflow ofvehicles with Karnataka registration numbers. The manager of Mahajan PetrolPump in Pollem said that they experience a “terrific rush” at their petrol pumpever since the fuel price came down from April 1.
There is big rush for petrol atMahajan Petrol Pump at Pollem which has ten petrol dispensers. And although itis around 18 kms from Canacona, Mahajan Petrol Pump sells more than 1.5 lakhlitres of petrol every day. “This volume sale is more than what petrol pumpssell in Panjim or Margao. In fact, a tanker has to come almost every day to thepetrol pump,” the manager of Mahajan Petrol Pump said.
The sale at Mahajan Petrol Pumphas shot up to a whopping 229%, while sale at Kunal Auto Service in Canacona,Mashem and Aria Durga Petrol Pump in Palolem showed an increase of 55% permonth since April.
All petrol pumps across the borderfrom Pollem to Mollem to Dargalim have shown an increase in petrol salesespecially in April. But the civil supplies department has introduced measuresnot to sell petrol in cans and bottles.
Civil Supplies administratorCynthia Fernandes stated that the department had observed the volume ofvehicles making a beeline to petrol pumps at Goa-Karnataka border.
According to Canacona PI HarishMadkaikar there is no bar for vehicles from across Goa to come to the State andfill petrol.
