New Delhi, 03 August (H.S.): Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh on Monday questioned the Central Government's stance on E20 petrol, saying that the reply given by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in Parliament on July 29 had raised more questions than it answered. He said that while the government continues to maintain that E20 fuel is completely safe, consumer experiences and several technical documents point to significant concerns.

In a post on social media platform X, Jairam Ramesh said that Nitin Gadkari had informed Parliament that E20 fuel was introduced only after years of scientific testing and that there was no evidence of widespread damage to vehicles caused by its use. However, he noted that for several months vehicle owners and mechanics across the country have been reporting issues such as reduced fuel efficiency, decline in engine performance, compatibility concerns with vehicles manufactured before 2023, cold-start problems, accelerated engine wear, clogged fuel injectors, corrosion in fuel lines, and cracks in rubber components.

He further said that an independent survey conducted in June 2026 involving more than 44,000 owners of petrol vehicles manufactured before 2023 found that a large number of respondents experienced adverse effects on their vehicles after the introduction of E20 fuel.

Jairam Ramesh also claimed that in September 2025, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had completely dismissed complaints regarding vehicle damage caused by biofuels. However, he pointed out that the July 2026 report of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the NITI Aayog's 2021 Ethanol Policy Roadmap mention certain technical implications associated with the use of E20 fuel. According to these documents, vehicles originally designed for E10 fuel may experience faster deterioration of rubber components, corrosion in fuel tanks and other metallic parts, and reduced fuel efficiency in certain categories of vehicles.

He said that public demand for greater accountability and transparency regarding E20 fuel is growing. The government, he added, should make all available scientific studies and data on the subject public so that consumers' concerns can be addressed on the basis of verified facts.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar