What Nitin Gadkari told Parliament about ethanol blending in petrol
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari addressed Parliament regarding concerns about ethanol blending in petrol.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, he said, “20 percent ethanol is blended with petrol. Testing was conducted, and it was found that no damage was observed in the engines of any vehicles, nor was any impact recorded on vehicle performance.”
"Use of E-20 petrol (Ethanol Blended Petrol) is a healthy trend. It is a green transition. It is less polluted and also saves foreign exchange," he said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
Gadkari said due to the mixing of ethanol in petrol, Rs 40,000 crore has been given to the farmers for the raw materials used -- sugarcane, maize etc. -- in ethanol.
Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said following the implementation of the ethanol blending programme, money which was earlier spent on crude oil imports is now going to farmers, who have become "Urjadaatas" apart from being "Annadatas".
Petrol vehicle owners have expressed concerns
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Mission E20 in 2023, introducing petrol blended with 20 percent ethanol.
However, since then, some petrol vehicle owners have expressed concerns.
Several claims were made on social media that it could negatively affect the engine and cause malfunctions in vehicles. It was also claimed that mileage could decrease.
However, the government has dismissed these claims.