Kejriwal Raises Objections to E20 Fuel Rollout, to Write to Prime Minister
NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Centre to roll back the 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20) program, alleging that it has adversely affected vehicle mileage and raised concerns among consumers.
In a video message posted on a social media platform, Kejriwal claimed that the Centre had informed the Supreme Court through the Attorney General on June 30 that the E20 fuel program was “an experiment” and that its future course would depend on its outcome.
He alleged that after media reports highlighted the court proceedings, the Centre denied making such a submission and termed those reports incorrect. Questioning the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol, the former Delhi chief minister said any new fuel policy should first be tested on a limited number of vehicles before being implemented on a large scale.
“If it is an experiment, why should it be conducted on the entire country’s vehicles?” he asked, while seeking clarity on whether the government would compensate vehicle owners if the use of ethanol-blended fuel caused damage to their vehicles. Kejriwal also raised concerns over fuel efficiency, claiming that many motorists had reported a drop in mileage after switching to E20 petrol. He referred to a statement by a Bharat Petroleum executive, alleging that ethanol has lower energy content than conventional petrol, which could affect fuel economy.
