ALCOHOL PAUCITY HITS GOVT'S ETHANOL FUEL PLANS
ALCOHOL PAUCITY HITS GOVT'S ETHANOL FUEL PLANS
While the Union Cabinet had pulled up petroleum minister Murli Deora for not
being able to carry through the scheme of blending five percent alcohol with
petrol to fuel cars, it appears that the minister may well end up having the
last laugh on the issue.
According to sources, there is just not enough alcohol in the country to
fill whisky glasses, serve as an input to produce medicines and chemicals
and blend petrol to run cars as well.
According to an Indian Oil Ltd (IOC) official, " It is not for want of
trying that the scheme has not made much headway but the fact that we are
getting very poor response to the tenders that we float for buying alcohol.
The high price of alcohol has also been posing a problem." The government is
keen to push through the alcohol blend as it reduces dependence on imported
crude and cuts pollution from vehicles. With the emphasis on reducing carbon
emissions worldwide and the Copenhagen meeting on climate change coming up,
the government would like to showcase its achievements as well.
A senior official said while IOC, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum
required 65 crore litres of alcohol a year to implement the five percent
blending with petrol they were able to procure only 27 crore litres, which
is a mere 40 percent of the required amount.
S. P. S. Pannu, New Delhi...Mail Today
