Farmers may now rejoice in the availability of diesel at their doorstep, owing to the introduction of the Bowser truck, a 6,000-litre mobile diesel dispenser.
Many farmers who previously struggled to obtain diesel for tractors and other agricultural equipment may now obtain the fuel in villages rather than traveling to petrol stations, which are usually situated in towns.
On Saturday, Badukonda Appala Naidu, MLA of Nellimarla, inaugurated the Bowser at an outlet at Vizianagaram's Aainada intersection.
Goluguri Nagrireddy, president of the Vizianagaram District Petroleum Dealers' Association, stated that diesel will be sold at the same price and that there would be no additional charge for supplying customers in outlying locations. Farmers would be notified of the time and day when Bowser will be available in their communities, allowing them to purchase it without delay, he added.
The mobile fuel dispenser service would help over 100 villages in the Denkada, Pusapati Rega, Bhogapuram, and Vizianagaram mandals, according to Lok Satta Party State President Bhisetti Babji. On the grounds of the store, a kisan mela was also held. Several banks and agro-farms have set up shop.
Due to ongoing diesel and petrol price hikes, the Karnataka government recently decided to provide petrol and diesel subsidies to its farmers. BC Patil, Karnataka's Minister of Agriculture, informed the press on the 16th of October, that the government planned to provide farmers in the state a Rs 20 per litre discount on petrol and diesel.
The Karnataka government took this action after considerable deliberation regarding the forthcoming Rabi season farming and rising fuel and petrol prices in the state, which have just surpassed the three-digit threshold.
With the forthcoming Rabi farming season approaching and the necessity to utilize tractors to till the field, the rise in gas and diesel costs will be a major issue for farmers with ordinary or below-average incomes.