Karur: The skyrocketing petrol prices in several parts of the country have come as a major headache for the middle class. Amid the spike in fuel prices, a petrol pump in Tamil Nadu’s Karur is now offering free petrol to people whose children are able to recite Thirukkural, couplets by famous Tamilian poet and saint Thiruvalluvar. If a child is able to recite 10 couplets of Thirukkural, half-a-litre petrol is given for free and those who can recite 20 couplets are offered one-litre petrol for free.
Notably, the offer was introduced on January 16 to mark Thiruvalluvar Day and as many as 176 people have been given free fuel since the scheme was introduced. This offer can be availed multiple times if the children are able to recite different couplets by Thiruvalluvar every time. Children studying in classes 1 to 12 can avail the offer which is valid till April 30.
Through this initiative, K Senguttuvan, the owner of the petrol pump, also intends to motivate children to learn and understand the importance of Thirukkural.
“While petrol price has crossed over Rs 90 per litre, we wanted children to use the opportunity to ease the financial burden of their parents by reciting Thirukkiral. The scheme will also attract the attention of parents who would make sure their children learn Thirkkural for free petrol. Our purpose was to inculcate the interest among children towards Thirukkural,” K Senguttuvan, told Times of India.
Senguttuvan further said, “We are not going to leave it with just petrol,” adding that the students and their parents will be called to Valluvar College of Science and Management in Karur owned by him for an orientation on making a ‘Thirukkural way of life’.
Fuel prices have been incessantly rising for more than a week now with no respite.Petrol and diesel prices have increased 19 times in 2021 with the two auto fuels increasing by Rs 5.28 and Rs 5.48 per litre respectively so far this year. It must be noted that except for Delhi, petrol prices have crossed the Rs 90-mark in all metro cities. The current price rise is largely due to the steep increase in central taxes of petrol and diesel and firm crude prices. Check fuel prices in major cities:
| Name of City | Petrol | Diesel |
| Delhi | 89.54 | 79.95 |
| Kolkata | 90.78 | 83.54 |
| Mumbai | 96 | 86.98 |
| Chennai | 91.68 | 85.01 |
| Bengaluru | 92.54 | 84.75 |
| Hyderabad | 993.10 | 87.20 |
| Patna | 92.18 | 85.43 |
| Lucknow | 88.06 | 80.33 |
| Jaipur | 96.01 | 88.52 |
| Gurugram | 87.30 | 80.32 |
Yesterday, in a unique form of protest against price rise, a man in Bhopal staged a demonstration at a petrol pump with a cricket bat and a helmet to indicate that the fuel price hit a century.