Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Friday criticised the Centre’s implementation of E20 petrol, alleging that the government was imposing ethanol-blended fuel on citizens despite widespread complaints over reduced mileage and damage to vehicles.
Kejriwal claimed that people across the country were facing problems including lower fuel efficiency, engine corrosion and vehicle breakdowns because of the 20% ethanol blend.
Questions raised over ethanol ‘experiment’
Referring to a video clip related to proceedings before the Supreme Court, Kejriwal alleged that the Centre had first described E20 petrol as an “experiment” and later denied making such a statement.
“The Central Government first told the Supreme Court that this is only an experiment. Later, it completely denied having said any such thing,” he said.
According to Kejriwal, if the policy was experimental in nature, it should first have been tested on a limited number of vehicles before being implemented across the country.
He questioned why ethanol-blended fuel had been made compulsory for vehicles nationwide without broader public consultation or phased testing.
The AAP convenor also asked whether the government would compensate vehicle owners if their engines or vehicle parts were damaged because of the fuel.
Demand for cheaper E20 fuel
Kejriwal alleged that E20 petrol was reducing mileage by around 30%, increasing fuel costs for consumers. He cited remarks attributed to a Bharat Petroleum Chemical Limited executive director regarding the lower mileage associated with ethanol fuel blends.
“If vehicles deliver 30% lower mileage, then ethanol-blended petrol should also be 30% cheaper,” he said.
He further claimed that many consumers were reporting corrosion and engine-related problems after using the blended fuel.
Kejriwal said he would soon write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking withdrawal of E20 petrol and invited people to send suggestions through comments and direct messages regarding issues they wanted included in the letter.
The Union government has been promoting ethanol blending under its clean energy and fuel import reduction policy. Officials have previously said the move is intended to reduce dependence on imported crude oil and support domestic agriculture and sugar industries.
