Bengaluru, Nov 10 Karnataka Industries Minister M B Patil on Tuesday blamed Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for the alleged ethanol blending “crisis”, accusing the Centre of allowing ethanol to be mixed with petrol beyond the prescribed limit.
Demanding a comprehensive investigation into the issue, he also alleged that the Union Government’s policies have created a crisis for sugar factories, which are now struggling with ethanol stocks exceeding their storage capacity.
“Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is primarily responsible for this… A comprehensive investigation into the matter is necessary,” Patil said according to a release by his office.
Rejecting doubts over the concerns he had raised about ethanol blending, Patil said the claims could be verified by consulting leaders from the sugar industry.
“They refuse to believe me when I speak the truth about ethanol. Let them ask sugar industry leaders such as Murugesh Nirani and Prabhakar Kore (also BJP leaders). Did we not send petrol samples to the Union Government’s own laboratories for testing? Why, then, should there be any doubt about the test results?” he asked.
According to Patil, sugar factories were facing difficulties due to excessive ethanol stocks, and the problem was not limited to Karnataka but had also affected Maharashtra.
“The position is relatively better only in Uttar Pradesh. The Union Government encouraged excessive ethanol production but failed to ensure adequate procurement,” he alleged.
He said the ethanol blending programme should initially have been introduced on a pilot basis in four or five districts to assess its advantages and disadvantages before being expanded.
“Instead, Gadkari introduced the ethanol-blending system abruptly, resulting in the present crisis,” Patil alleged.
A row has erupted after the Karnataka government last week said that E20 petrol samples collected from across seven districts had ethanol content up to 31 per cent against the prescribed 20 per cent.
(PTI News)
