In a move that could help gram panchayats earn income, select GPs in Udupi district are being facilitated to lease their land to public sector oil marketing companies to operate fuel stations dispensing conventional fuel, electric vehicle charging stations and CNG dispensing units.

Kota Srinivas Poojary, MP for Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, after holding meetings with representatives of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), announced in Manipal on Friday that initially, nine GPs in the district would facilitate the opening of fuel stations on their lands. The outlets would also operate BeCafe, a quick-bite chain developed by BPCL. The meeting was also attended by senior zilla panchayat officials and tahsildars.

In a statement here, Mr. Poojary said the facilities should be in place within about six months, by January 2027. The GPs identified to lease out their lands in the initial stage include Mudradi, Belve and Albadi in Hebri taluk; Mudaru, Belman, Sanoor, Kukkundur and Bailoor in Karkala taluk; and Thenkanidiyur in Udupi taluk.

Suitable lands belonging to GPs have been identified in these villages and have been recommended to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas according to the prevailing rules. Survey work is under way in other taluks of the district too, he said, adding that such fuel stations would be opened in every Assembly constituency, the MP said.

BPCL will pay rent and commission on revenue earned from the lands taken on lease from the GPs, Mr. Poojary said. This would substantially improve the financial health of panchayats, he noted.

Stating that he was pleased with the initiative, Mr. Poojary handed over the list of chosen GPs to BPCL officials and asked them to take up the project at the earliest.

BPCL territory manager Vipin Das Vamshwal and others were present at the meeting.

Published - July 18, 2026 07:04 pm IST