BARWANI: Buy petrol or diesel and get an automatic washing machine, air conditioner, laptop or a bike. These offers are being made by petrol pump owners in Madhya Pradesh to maintain their sales volume and stay in business.MP has the highest VAT on petrol and diesel making them among the costliest in India. With the difference in prices being high, truckers and commercial vehicles passing through MP prefer refuelling from pumps across the border. Now, even the locals are shunning the fuel stations in state and heading for those located across the border."For purchase of 100 litres of diesel, a truck driver will get breakfast and tea for free..." Anuj Khandelwal, a pump owner, told TOI."We are offering a mobile, a bicycle, or a wrist watch for 5,000 litres, for 15,000 litres an almirah, a sofa set or a 100gm silver coin. On purchase of 25,000 litres of diesel customers can get an automatic washing machine, for 50,000 litres a split AC or a laptop and for one lakh litres we have offered a scooter or motorcycle," he said.He said ever since the new offers, sales have picked up as drivers are purchasing 100 litres of petrol to get the discount. Manoj Arora, a petrol pump proprietor, told TOI that more than 125 petrol pump owners in border districts like Shivpuri and Ashoknagar are struggling due to price difference which is as much as Rs 5/ litre for diesel.Pump owners said, MP has 22% VAT on diesel and 27% on petrol and demanded the government reduce taxes.

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