Panaji: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday claimed that the Centre was gearing up to introduce E30 petrol followed by the E40 variant, and said it was waiting for the public anger over E20 to subside first.
He said the introduction of E30 and its next variants of ethanol-blended fuel would cause hardships to vehicle owners.
Addressing a town hall meeting over E20 in Goa, Kejriwal alleged that the government was conducting trials for E30 and was waiting for public opposition to E20 to subside before increasing the ethanol blending level.
“They are simply watching the public mood. As soon as opposition to E20 cools down a little, they will introduce E30 and then E40,” the former Delhi chief minister said.
Kejriwal also advised people against purchasing vehicles at present, claiming that vehicles designed to run on E20 could face problems if higher ethanol-blended fuel was introduced.
“If you buy a vehicle now, E20-compliant vehicles are being sold. Within a year, they will bring E30, force E30 into E20 vehicles, and then force E40 as well,” he claimed.
He said repeatedly breaking down vehicles would cause hardship to owners who purchase them after spending their savings.
Kejriwal claimed that moving to ethanol blending would require changes to petrol pump storage tanks, vehicle engines and fuel injectors, besides requiring new vehicles to comply with the higher ethanol blend.
He alleged that the government had compressed a process that would normally take 15-20 years into three years.
The AAP leader also linked the ethanol blending programme to sugar prices, claiming that 25 lakh tonnes of sugar had been diverted towards ethanol production, resulting in a shortage and a rise in prices.
He alleged that sugar prices had increased from Rs 45 per kg on July 30 to Rs 75 per kg in the market.
India, which exported sugar until last year, has now started importing it due to a shortage, according to him.
Kejriwal alleged that the government would eventually import ethanol to increase blending levels to E30 and E40, and claimed that the move was being undertaken under pressure from US President Donald Trump.
He also claimed that a large number of vehicles in the country were not capable of using E20, and alleged that the government was planning to introduce ethanol blending in diesel as well.
