Team Bharat asks for E10 availability, E0 at reasonable rates amid E20 backlash

Amid growing concerns over the impact of E20 fuel on vehicles currently on the road, a citizens’ advocacy group Team Bharat met officials from the Union Petroleum Ministry, urging the government to continue supplying E10 petrol (petrol with 10% ethanol) for vehicles designed to use it, even as it demanded that pure petrol with no ethanol blending be made available at all fuel stations at affordable prices.

The citizens’-advocacy group, founded by political commentator and observer Tehseen Poonawalla, put forth the demands in a meeting with Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Poonawalla said Team Bharat also called for E20 being made available at 20% discount to the pure petrol variant being sought. The group also sought that all relevant documents and testing reports – pertaining to the E20 fuel – be made available in public domain to impart complete transparency about the variant.

Additionally, they have also called for instituting a mechanism and rules to assess how vehicles may have been damaged because of the blended fuel, along with procedures to address the grievances.

Making it clear that Team Bharat has not called for a complete rollback of the E20 fuel, Mr. Poonawalla said “we are aiming for what is possible. The government has come forward to discuss the concerns, we are thus striving for a middle-ground acceptable to all.”

The advocacy group also raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest allegedly involving Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in relation to the overall blending programme.

The outreach to the government assumes significance in the wake of a continuing furore about the one-fifth blended fuel.

The Hindu has also reached out to officials at the Union Petroleum Ministry for a comment. The Union Petroleum Ministry has maintained the fuel is safe for use and impacts fuel efficiency by about 3-5% in vehicles compliant with E10.

Another meeting planned

Separately, sources present at the meeting, told The Hindu that the government and the advocacy group the next planned meeting would be working on a mechanism on how to inspect the vehicles that have been reportedly damaged because of the one-fifth blended fuel.

“We agreed upon having a mechanism to inspect [the presently impacted vehicles] and how to take things forward [about the same]. We will wait for them to come back,” they said.