Ethanol-Blended Petrol: TMC Leader Slams Modi-Government For Overcharging
New Delhi: The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Saket Gokhale has criticized the Union Government for mandating 20 percent blending of ethanol with petrol, noting that the renewable fuel is not only cheaper but also significantly reduces the mileage of vehicles such as cars and bikes.
Underscoring that every Indian is being robbed through the use of ethanol with petrol, the TMC MP said that the people are being overcharged by at least Rs 9 per liter at the petrol pump.
Read Also: “Staggering”: Jairam Ramesh On The Extent Of Vacancies In AIIMS Faculties
“It is believed that it also wrecks engines that are BS-IV and older. Every Indian is being ROBBED through this. While the market cost of ethanol-blended petrol is cheaper by a minimum of ₹9/liter, you are being made to pay a fully inflated price,” the TMC leader pointed out.
In a post on X, Saket Gokhale shared his speech at the Parliament regarding the matter, terming it a brazen cheating by the Modi government, which not only takes away people’s hard-earned money but also contributes to inflation and price rise.
𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭:
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 ₹𝟗 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐦𝐩.
Modi Govt has mandated 20% blending of ethanol with petrol.
Ethanol is not only cheaper but also significantly reduces your car… pic.twitter.com/iEBjgp9SX9
— Saket Gokhale MP (@SaketGokhale) February 5, 2025
Read Also: ‘Nothing To Address Economy’s Key Crises’: Jairam Ramesh On Budget 2025
The ethanol has less energy per unit volume than petrol, making the ethanol-blended petrol has lower fuel efficiency. Moreover, ethanol can pick up contaminants that gasoline can’t, which can lead to engine problems, though it has benefits such as being renewable and reduction in carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions.
The government had delcared that in the ESY 2023-24, the blending percentage surpassed 13% with approximately 545.05 crore litres of ethanol blended as of August 2024. noting that the eethanol blending percentage, rose from 1.53% in 2014 to an impressive 15% in 2024.
Earlier, The Saket Gokhale had explained how the government, though the ethanol blending with petrol robs the people. Stating that the government has also set a “target” for ensuring that ALL petrol in India is blended 20% with ethanol by this year, the TMC leader had said that it was a brazen daylight robbery on average people.
“Petrol price in Mumbai is ₹103.5 per liter on January 30. Which means 20% of it (200 ml) is ₹20.70, When that 20% of petrol (₹20.70) is substituted with 20% ethanol (₹11.5), that’s a difference of ₹9.20. Considering the new price per liter of ethanol, 200 ml (20%) comes to ₹11.50,” the TMC leader said.
Noting that if the government is going to blend all petrol with ethanol, he asserted that the price of petrol per litre should come down by at least Rs 9.20. “Sugar mills and other entrenched interests will now be making windfall profits through this “mandatory” ethanol blending of petrol. Oil companies will also see an increase in the margins when petrol is 20% ethanol blended,” the MP said, asking why then the common people of India are being made to pay an extra Rs 9.20 per litre of petrol.
“Why are the savings from ethanol blending not being passed on to consumers? To make people pay ₹9.20 extra per liter of petrol is absolutely criminal,” the TMC leader said, adding that Modi and his ministers are experts at robbing the people of India – be it through taxes or inflated fuel prices. He had also said that he would raise the issue in the upcoming parliament last week.
