Mangaluru: Here is a fuel station which not only fills your vehicle’s tank, but also quenches your thirst with buttermilk. It goes without saying that you have to pay for the fuel but the buttermilk is for free.
This unique service is being provided by a petrol pump ‘Prabhu Service Station’ located on Balmatta Road, near Mangaluru Nursing Home. Shivanand Prabhu of Urwa, the proprietor of this petrol pump has started this service in the year 2015. Prabhu spends around Rs 1200 per day in order to quench the thirst of his customers. He buys 40 litres of buttermilk from a farm located at Chelar Padavu village everyday and over 500 customers come here and drink buttermilk.
The city has been witnessing temperature over 34 degree Celsius in the past few days. If you are thirsty, you need to pay for even a glass of water. But, this fuel station provides you buttermilk at the free of cost. Usually, this service is provided to the customers during the summer season April and May. When rainy season starts and temperature dips down, the service also stops.
This fuel station is quite different from the rest in many ways. It provides some attractive gifts to its customers like key bunch, purse, tool kit and some necessary items on the occasion of Ugadi fest. Lorry and tipper drivers who usually travel long distances would be provided here with a kit of necessary items comprising toothpaste, brush, torch, shawl, coconut oil, comb among others. It also provides ‘Bevu-Bella’ on the occasion of Ugadi fest to its customers and distributes sweets during Lakshmi Pooja annually. While some petrol pumps charge for filling nitrogen in tyres, this one provides it for free.
Nithesh Shetty, manager of ‘Prabhu Service Station’ told Newskarnataka.com that there is a good response from the public to their unique service. “It is the fourth consecutive year, we are providing buttermilk to our customers”, he adds.
Suresh Poojary, a motorcycle rider after quenching his thirst with buttermilk here expressed that it is an ideal service. “When we feel thirsty, a glass of water becomes a source of energy. But, here we receive buttermilk for free. I really appreciate this unique service”, said an elated Suresh.
