The announcement was made by Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who assured vehicle owners that everything was being done to make refuelling vehicles a pleasant experience
In a unique, first-of-its-kind measure to provide entertainment while refuelling, petrol bunks across the country have announced that they would soon start broadcasting FM radio, with the petrol rate being used for frequency tuning.
The announcement was made by Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who assured vehicle owners that everything was being done to make refuelling vehicles a pleasant experience. "With the petrol prices soaring feverishly these days, vehicle owners are feeling the heat. And since the use of cell phones is not allowed at petrol bunks, instead of being blissfully distracted, they are even more likely to get worked up like my namesake and yell 'Kutte! Kamine! Tu mera khoon pee jaayega!' at the bunk officials. The other day, I heard on Radio City 91.1 FM that the petrol price had equalled their frequency. That's when it struck me - that the rate can be used by petrol bunks to automatically broadcast FM radio from the station of that particular frequency, given that it's only likely to increase in the near future. This way, those who come to the bunks to refuel can enjoy their favourite show or song, while refuelling," the minister told MyNation special correspondent Gin Diesel.
"Each day, there will be a broadcast from a new radio station, as the price keeps changing. So people won't be listening to the same old voices every day," the minister added. The communication ministry too hailed the decision. "This is a great move. It will have a tremendous impact especially on people who refuel during the last day of the month. They will be able to hear Modiji's Mann Ki Baat at petrol bunks!" said Communication MoS Manoj Sinha. The announcement has also brought great cheer to Modi supporters on social media. "Doesn't matter if your vehicle engine is 2-stroke or 4-stroke, this move by Modiji is a masterstroke!" tweeted one such die-hard supporter. When asked about when the petrol price would reduce, the supporter lambasted our correspondent. "The petrol price was in the nineties even under Nehru! Just that it was in paise and not rupees! Where were you then?" yelled the supporter.
When asked about the diesel prices, Pradhan said that efforts were on to equate the diesel price to the rupee value of the day. "They're pretty much in the same range, so again, it makes it easier if we use the same value for both," the minister added. Meanwhile, sources suggest that PM Modi is expected to soon issue a clarion call to the country, to give up fuel, along the lines of gas subsidy and senior citizen rail fare discount. Rumours are also rife that on the 8th of November this year, the PM is likely to announce a midnight ban on fuel and enforce the conversion of vehicles to battery-operated ones by the end of the year.
PM Modi, on his part, has already found support in his former colleague, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu. "Electric should not just mean election trick! It might sound erratic and eccentric, but if the PM becomes emphatic, in going electric, it will make all ecstatic!" exclaimed the Rajya Sabha Chairman.
Disclaimer: The above article is a work of satire
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.