Amid the huge uproar over the rollout of E20 petrol, in which 20 per cent ethanol is blended with petrol, BJP leader and member of parliament Brij Lal has said that he has faced no issues using the blended fuel in his vehicle and went on to say that those opposing it are against the country’s development and are controlled by foreign powers.
“E20 petrol is safe. A narrative is being created, and a lobby is working against it. The Ministry has issued a clarification. I too own a vehicle, and I use the same fuel, but my vehicle has never faced any issues,” Lal told news agency ANI.
Lal said E20 petrol would help reduce India’s dependence on imported crude oil while admitting that it does reduce mileage slightly.
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“Mileage indeed drops by 3-4 per cent, but this will save a lot of money for the country. We import 80 per cent of our fuel, and by blending 20 per cent ethanol, we will be able to save the money that goes abroad,” he said.
Lal added that the criticism surrounding the blended petrol is nothing but a politically motivated campaign by those who do not want the country’s development. “Those who are opposing it are against the development of the country and are being controlled by foreign powers. E20 petrol is safe,” he said.
Opposition has questioned the rollout of E20
Commuters and opposition politicians, including Karnataka Congress chief BK Hariprasad and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, have said the fuel has reduced mileage and pushed up repair costs, and have questioned why fuel prices have not fallen despite the blend being supposed to be cheaper to produce than pure petrol.
Addressing a press conference a few days ago, Kejriwal also said that he would write to automobile manufacturers seeking written assurances that they would compensate vehicle owners if E20 fuel reduced mileage or caused damage to engines, fuel systems or other components.
The AAP leader also announced plans to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking clarity on whether the government or automobile companies would bear the cost if consumers suffered losses due to the policy.
Govt says E20 is safe
Meanwhile, the government has maintained that E20 is safe for compliant vehicles, citing extensive testing by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and automobile manufacturers.
The government has also clarified that maintaining multiple grades of petrol across India’s fuel distribution network would create significant operational and logistical challenges.
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