UNION Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari onTuesday said the rage over blending 20 per cent ethanol in petrol fuel was a “paid campaign”. The remark came a day after the Government notified changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989,allowing flexfuel vehicles that can run on up to E100 (nearly pure ethanol). Addressing an event organised by industry body CII, Gadkari further said India can save precious foreign exchange by reducing imports of fossil fuels.

 

“Three months ago, huge noise (khub haala)) was made against the E20 (20 per cent e t h a n o l - b l e n d e d petrol) fuel; nowrage against E20 fuel is over...It was a paid campaign,” he said. Gadkari noted that for the last three years, more than 20 crore two-wheelers and over 3 crore petrol cars have been operating on these blends (E19-20) fuels without any verified evidence of widespread engine failure or vehicle breakdown attributable to ethanol blending.