Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates first Safal outlet in Capital

Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday inaugurated two outlets of Mother Diary Safal fruit and vegetable at Rajdhani Service Station of Bharat Petroleum and COCO Raj Bhavan of Indian Oil here in Bhubaneswar.

The capital city became the third in the country with Safal stores at petrol pumps, after successful running in Delhi NCR and Bangalore, selling fresh and quality vegetables and fruits at affordable rates, a release said.

The Safal stores at fuel pumps will also help farmers to get a direct access to the market, ensuring fair price for their produce, which will enhance their productivity, it said.

Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said a new chapter has started in petrol pumps by providing a platform to sell fresh vegetables, fruits and other products.

This is part of the smart city initiative, which will translate into convenience for the people of the city, he said.

"Safal outlets in petrol pumps will provide employment to the youth and will directly benefit the farmers, providing quality products to the citizens," Pradhan said.

"Odisha is the fourth largest producer of vegetable and fruits. The challenge is to provide a market for the produce and a remunerative price to the producers. Safal will provide an answer to this.

"Retail outlets will be leveraged to provide additional amenities and facilities on the non-fuel vertical to provide additional income to dealers," he said.

Pradhan urged the oil marketing companies (OMCs) to partner with NDDB to explore the option of creating a special purpose vehicle for setting up of a food processing centre.

NDDB chairman Dillip Rath and senior officials of all OMCs, Safal dealers and petrol pump workers were present on the occasion.