Punjab Industries Minister questions E20 rush as US still at 10% since 1970s
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Industries and Commerce Minister and state president of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Mr. Aman Arora launched a blistering attack on BJP led Union Government over the unexplained urgency behind the forced rollout of 20% ethanol blending in petrol, while asking why stakeholders were ignored and who will pay for the damage to millions of vehicles?
While participating in the House discussion on official resolution on E20, Mr. Aman Arora drew parallels to Modi led Centre Government’s 2016 demonetisation drive, stating that lofty justifications were given at the time, but the ground reality remained unchanged. “The Central Government claims E20 will reduce the import bill, benefit farmers and save water, yet they have not placed a single scientific report before the public to substantiate these claims,” he asserted.
Questioning the urgency behind the E20 implementation, Mr. Aman Arora asked, “The US started blending in the 1970s and is still at 10%. Canada, the EU, Australia and even China began in the early 2000s and are at 5 to 10%. If these advanced economies haven’t rushed, why is India jumping straight to 20% without any groundwork?”
Flagging serious technical concerns, Mr. Aman Arora said that 29 car companies had privately told AAP National Convenor Sh. Arvind Kejriwal that vehicles made before 2023 are not E20 compatible.
“This will drastically cut mileage, damage engines, seize vital components and destroy resale value,” he warned, while demanding a proper discussion on E20 instead of the Centre’s “bulldozer” approach.
Mr. Aman Arora cited that centre government’s NITI Aayog’s ‘Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India 2020-25’ had flagged 5 major risks including food security for nearly 150 crore people, groundwater depletion, lack of distillation and logistics capacity and regional food stock imbalances.
“You cannot justify forced ethanol blending by pointing to surplus paddy in Punjab. That is not a solution, it is a deflection. The real answer is crop diversification,” he said.Instead of forcing E20, Mr. Arora called for a paradigm shift in farm policy, demanding MSP on all 23 notified crops including pulses, oilseeds, mustard and groundnut.
He further shared that India imports edible oils and pulses worth nearly Rs 2 lakh crore every year. If Punjab’s agriculture diversifies to these crops, it will save the depleting groundwater and slash the country’s import bill dramatically.
He urged the Centre Government to hold a transparent, consultative process and to respect dissent before imposing any policy that affects citizens.
