‘Use of ethanol can address high fuel cost and pollution’

PANAJI: Chastising earlier governments for ignoring his calls to adopt the use of ethanol as a commercial fuel, Union minister for roads, transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that ethanol is not only cheaper, but also better for the environment. The Union minister also said that inclusion of fuel under GST will help reduce retail cost but the decision has to be taken by the GST council.
Addressing Goa’s industrialists, Gadkari said that rapid increase in the production of ethanol and its adoption can help India completely stop import of crude oil after five years.
“From 2004 I am the main advocate, constantly arguing for ethanol. But when any out-of-box thinking is there, it is difficult and at the time people were taking more time to support it. Now, people are supporting ethanol,” Gadkari said at a meeting to outline the Gati Shakti national masterplan.
He was responding to a concern raised by the industry about the high fuel prices and the efforts being taken to reduce them. Gadkari said that since 70-80% of the country’s fuel requirements depend on imports, the Centre can do little to reduce the prices.
He said that the Centre has taken a decision to promote flex-engines that can run on ethanol as well as petrol. He said that Bajaj Auto, TVS and Toyota have agreed to manufacture vehicles with engines that can run on either of the two fuels.
“Petrol cost is very high compared to ethanol. It is time for the country to accept the new technology because it is less polluting than even electric because we are making electricity from coal.”