‘Petrol at 10 paise, diesel at 5’: Delhi’s century-old petrol pump has seen it all

Rakesh Jain, 75, sits inside his glass cabin at a petrol pump in Delhi’s Shahdara. Old music plays from a Carvaan radio nearby. Outside, a steady stream of cars, two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws queue up.

But this is no ordinary petrol pump. At 102, Rakesh says it’s the Capital’s first and oldest — a century-old establishment that has stood the test of time. A blue colour board affixed to a pole outside the pump proudly declares: ‘Oldest petrol pump in Delhi since 1923’.

“I was 12 years old when I first came here in 1965. It used to be a jungle. During the monsoon, the area would get inundated so we used to empty the petrol tanks and tie them with chains so they wouldn’t float away… once it was shut for a month!” says Rakesh.

He is the fourth generation owner of this pump.

“There used to be a milestone erected at the petrol pump which read ‘2 km to Shahdara’ — this was the only place known to people in the middle of the jungle,” he remembers.

The story of this petrol pump began in 1923, when Rakesh’s great grandfather, Lala Mam Chand, a zamindar from Barot in Haryana, was approached by New York based-Standard Oil Company to start a pump. At a time when the number of vehicles in Delhi could be counted in double digits, Mam Chand saw an opportunity and seized it.

The story of this petrol pump began in 1923, when Rakesh’s great grandfather, Lala Mam Chand, a zamindar from Barot in Haryana, was approached by New York based-Standard Oil Company to start a pump

Soon, the petrol pump came up near Novelty Cinema in Chandni Chowk. Around four decades later, in 1965, Rakesh says it shifted to Shahdara as railway tracks were being laid for the Old Delhi railway station. It now stands near Delhi University’s Shyam Lal College along the GT Road.

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“We were the only pump in Delhi… In Shahdara, there were 40-50 vehicles, out of which around 25 used to come here. Now, our daily customers number nearly 10,000,” Rakesh adds.

Named Ugrasain & Sons, after Chand’s son Ugrasain, the petrol pump is currently operated by Hindustan Petroleum (HP).

“My great grandfather used to tell me that petrol prices in the initial years used to be 10 paise and diesel 5 paise… but you see now that prices have shot up,” Rakesh says, as he checks his register for the latest figure.

Rakesh Jain

In the pre-Independence days, he says his great-grandfather frequently traveled to Karachi, now in Pakistan. “If any pump broke down or if there were conferences or office meetings, he would go there, since the nearest office was located in Karachi. Before Partition, Karachi was Mam Chand’s go-to place for official visits and emergencies.”

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Rakesh also recalls that several politicians used to frequent the station back in the day. “Hari Krishan Lal Bhagat [Congress leader and former Delhi Mayor] was a regular visitor,” he says, bending down to open a drawer and sift through old black-and-white photographs, hoping to find some of Bhagat. “He was like family to us, with close ties to my father and grandfather.”

Uttar Pradesh’s 7th Chief Minister, freedom fighter, and Constituent Assembly member Kamalapati Tripathi from the Congress maintained close relations with the family, Rakesh adds. “My father was active in Congress, participated in elections, and had close ties with many politicians of that era.”

Apart from being the first owners of a petrol pump in Delhi, the Jains say they were also the first customers to open a bank account at the Central Bank of India’s Shahdara branch when it opened in 1962 — they still hold account number 1.

As the petrol pump marks its 102nd year, Rakesh and his son Bhanu Jain (50) feel a lot has changed

As the petrol pump marks its 102nd year, Rakesh and his son Bhanu Jain (50) feel a lot has changed. “Now you can book fuel supply online. Earlier, the fuel station was located in Punjabi Bagh… my father and grandfather used to either go there in person to book or send a telegraph,” says Rakesh.

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For Bhanu, however, maintaining the station has become increasingly difficult. “Government guidelines mandate that washroom facilities must be available at every petrol pump. But people need to be responsible as well. Every other day, we find that taps or toilet flush mechanisms from the washroom have been stolen.”

Rakesh says two months ago, a robbery took place at the petrol pump in broad daylight — a bag with Rs 15,000 in cash was stolen from a pump operator at 11 am by a small-time thief.

He says petrol pumps should have fixed operating hours. “The facility should close by evening at the latest, as there’s a risk of theft during the night. It would also give us time to carry out maintenance.”

Gently tracing an old sheet of paper where his family tree is drawn, Rakesh sighs with a half-smile. “Let’s see if my grandson will carry forward our business — he’s planning to explore other options as well. I keep changing the board outside every year as it gets corroded. The legacy should be maintained, right?”

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