Owner of SL Misser petrol pump Neeta Mishra (right) guides BPCL eastern region general manager (retail) Kurian P. Chandy at the oldest fuel outlet in Bihar on Thursday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Bihar would be celebrating its 101st foundation day later this month but SL Misser, the state’s first retail petrol pump, clocked 102 on Thursday in style.

Right from the British Raj days to Independence to the era of globalisation, the pump, started by late KL Misser in his father SL Misser’s name at East Gandhi Maidan in 1911, stands testimony to more than a century of changes during which the price of petrol touched the sky.

Neeta Mishra, the founder’s granddaughter-in-law, runs the petrol dispenser at present. She is the proud family’s fourth generation.

“It’s a big achievement for the entire Misser family for successfully running the outlet without changing hands. Instead, the outlet witnessed change of four companies as its agency,” she said.

KL Misser, who shifted from Kanpur to Bihar, secured the distributorship of Assam Oil Company Ltd in 1911. Over these 100 years, the parent petroleum company changed hands from Asiatic Petroleum to Burmah-Shell and finally to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).

“Though no record is available to find the price of petrol in 1911, our documents show that Rs 300 was paid to place an order for 150 gallons of petrol in January, 1922,” Neeta said. That implies that the wholesale price of petrol then was Rs 2 per gallon (1 gallon=4.55 litres), which works out to 44 paise per litre against the current retail price of Rs 75.54 per litre, a rise of more than 170 times.

Mishra said initially for a decade or so, no vehicle used to come to the pump, as no private individual owned a car in Patna. Instead, the pump employees used to carry petrol for British police and civil administration officers. “Though we owned the pump, we did not have a car then. Later, we got the distinction of owning the first private car in Patna,” Neeta said. The pump won several accolades from British officers for its service.

BPCL general manager (retail), eastern region, Kurian P. Chandy, who was present with other BPCL officials on the occasion, said: “It is one of the oldest pumps of the BPCL in the country, giving service to the people.”