Five per cent ethanol to be mixed with petrol in nine states: Deora

Mumbai, Mar 19: Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and Petroleum secretary M S Srinivasan today (Mar 20, 2006)said five percent ethanol blending with petrol will be introduced in nine sugarcane cultivating states, including Maharashtra, to help farmers earn more revenue.

Mr Deora, while addressing reporters here, said ''this would be implemented in the next two months. Eight states, apart from Maharashtra, which will benefit from this facility are; Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka and Goa.

With the addition of ethanol, the fuel gets more burning efficiency and by next crushing season five per cent ethanol will be mixed with petrol all over India.

Mr Srinivasan said nearly 5,000 kilo litres of ethanol would be required to meet the needs of the entire country. So it would be implemented by the next season. He also informed that in Brazil, ethanol is prepared directly, while in India, it is preapared from molasses.

When asked about the proposal to merge four major oil companies put forward by his predecessor Mani Shankar Aiyer, Mr Deora said a committee was going through it and decision, if any, could be taken only after the committee submitted its report.

Mr Deora had convened a meeting of CMDs, Directors (marketing, finance and CVOs) of Indian Oil, BPC, HPC and IBP in which existing practices that are being followed by the oil companies were reviewed to combat adulteration with the objective of drawing a blue print for preventing this menace. He said the meeting was convened today as the issue of adulteration was taken up in Rajya Sabha and Parliamentary Consultative Committee across the party line.

There are 33,000 retail outlets across the country where 11 million kilo litres of petrol and 16 million kilo litres of diesel is traded anually.

Mr Srinivasan said adulteration takes place mainly because of huge price difference in petrol, diesel and Naptha and kerosene. He informed that electro mechanic system has been introduced.

He added that by next year end all the fuel-carrying tankers would be fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS), enabling four satellites to track their movements. He also said they would undertake surprise checks of retailors by third party once in six months.

According to him, this plan has already been intiated at 2,500 outlets and will be expanded all over India in next two to three years. He informed that 50 cases of adulteration had been detected since August last year and action has been taken in 17 of these cases.

Mr Deora had convened a meeting of CMDs, Directors (marketing, finance and CVOs) of Indian Oil, BPC, HPC and IBP in which existing practices that are being followed by the oil companies were reviewed to combat adulteration with the objective of drawing a blue print for preventing this menace. He said the meeting was convened today as the issue of adulteration was taken up in Rajya Sabha and Parliamentary Consultative Committee across the party line.

There are 33,000 retail outlets across the country where 11 million kilo litres of petrol and 16 million kilo litres of diesel is traded anually.

Mr Srinivasan said adulteration takes place mainly because of huge price difference in petrol, diesel and Naptha and kerosene. He informed that electro mechanic system has been introduced.

He added that by next year end all the fuel-carrying tankers would be fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS), enabling four satellites to track their movements. He also said they would undertake surprise checks of retailors by third party once in six months.

According to him, this plan has already been intiated at 2,500 outlets and will be expanded all over India in next two to three years. He informed that 50 cases of adulteration had been detected since August last year and action has been taken in 17 of these cases.

UNI

UNI