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    EYE ON INDIA                                                              JULY 24, 2026    |  The Indian Eye                    6

                E20 Fuel Row Deepens as Centre

                 Defends Policy, Consumer Court

                                 Rules Against Carmaker

            Nitin Gadkari categorically rejects allegations that E20 fuel causes engine damage or reduces

                                  mileage in vehicles designed to run on the higher ethanol blend

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            sumer Disputes Redressal Commis-
                                                                                                                  sion ruled in favour of a vehicle owner
            New Delhi/Raipur
                                                                                                                  whose car allegedly suffered severe
               ndia’s ethanol-blended fuel pro-                                                                   engine damage after using E20 fuel.
               gramme has come under renewed                                                                          The    Commission    directed
            Iscrutiny  after  a  consumer  court                                                                  the manufacturer to replace the
            ordered a car manufacturer to re-                                                                     complainant’s vehicle with a new
            place a vehicle allegedly damaged by                                                                  E20-compatible  model.  If  the  re-
            E20 fuel, even as the Centre strongly                                                                 placement is not provided, the com-
            defended the policy and dismissed al-                                                                 pany has been ordered to refund the
            legations that ethanol-blended petrol                                                                 full purchase price of Rs 20.50 lakh.
            harms vehicle engines. The issue has                                                                  It also awarded Rs 1 lakh as compen-
            also taken on political overtones, with                                                               sation for mental harassment and Rs
            opposition leaders questioning the                                                                    10,000  towards  litigation  expenses,
            nationwide rollout and police inves-                                                                  directing compliance within 45 days,
            tigating what authorities describe as                                                                 failing which interest would be pay-
            a misinformation campaign targeting                                                                   able on the delayed amount.
            Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.       Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari interact   Maruti Suzuki, however, has
                The controversy centres on the                                                                    strongly  disputed  the  findings  and
            government’s  ambitious  E20  pro-  during the inauguration of Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh  (ANI Video Grab)  announced  that  it  will  challenge  the
            gramme, which mandates petrol                                                                         order before a higher judicial forum.
            blended with 20 per cent ethanol as   E20-compatible  vehicle  had  actually   Union minister and E20 fuel with the   The  complainant’s  lawyer,  Ad-
            part of India’s strategy to reduce crude   experienced technical problems be-  intention of misleading the public.  vocate P.K. Nishad, said the vehicle
            oil imports, cut emissions and support   cause of the fuel.             The FIR names content creator   developed repeated engine problems
            domestic  biofuel  production.  While   The minister said leading au-  Manish  Kashyap  along  with  several   after covering around 21,000 kilome-
            the government maintains the tran-  tomobile manufacturers, including   other social media accounts. Police   tres. According to him, the manufac-
            sition has been backed by extensive   Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Tata Motors   said the case has been registered un-  turer initially attributed the malfunc-
            technical evaluation and consultation   and Mahindra, have not reported   der relevant provisions of the Bharati-  tion to poor-quality petrol, but the
            with automakers, concerns continue   a single complaint linking ethanol   ya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information   problems reappeared even after the
            to be raised over the compatibility   blending with engine malfunctions.   Technology Act, and investigations   fuel was replaced. He said the Com-
            of older vehicles and the lack of fuel   He also urged those claiming vehicle   are underway.         mission accepted the argument that
            choice available to consumers.    damage to register formal complaints   Meanwhile,  Aam  Aadmi  Party   the vehicle was not compatible with
                Union   Agriculture  Minister  with both dealerships and the Minis-  National Convenor and former Delhi   E20 fuel and ordered its replacement
            Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thurs-   try of Road Transport and Highways   Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has   with a model capable of operating on
            day declined to comment on the    so that the allegations could be inves-  urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi   the higher ethanol blend.
            growing   debate,  saying  Road   tigated.                          to reconsider the implementation of   The developments underscore
            Transport and Highways Minister       The debate has expanded be-   E20 petrol for vehicles that were not   the growing debate surrounding one
            Nitin Gadkari had already clar-   yond technical questions into the po-  originally designed for the higher eth-  of  India’s  most  significant  energy
            ified  the  government’s  position.  litical arena.                 anol blend. In a letter to the Prime   transition initiatives. While the Cen-
                “Our minister Nitin Gadkari has   Nagpur Cyber Police have reg-  Minister, Kejriwal claimed that own-  tre continues to defend the E20 pro-
            already clarified the entire situation, so   istered a First Information Report   ers of older cars and two-wheelers   gramme as an important step towards
            there is no need for me to say anything   against several social media content   have experienced reduced mileage,   reducing oil imports and promoting
            further,” Chouhan told reporters.  creators accused of circulating false,   faster engine wear and higher operat-  cleaner fuels, the combination of con-
                Gadkari has categorically reject-  misleading and defamatory content   ing costs after the introduction of E20   sumer  litigation,  political  criticism
            ed  allegations  that  E20  fuel  causes   against Gadkari over the ethanol   fuel. He demanded that petrol pumps   and ongoing investigations into online
            engine damage or reduces mileage   policy.  The  complaint,  filed  by  BJP   provide consumers with the option of   campaigns suggests that questions
            in  vehicles  designed  to  run  on  the   Nagpur City Social Media Cell Con-  choosing between conventional petrol   over vehicle compatibility, consumer
            higher ethanol blend. Challenging   vener Shishir Arun Tripathi, alleges   and E20 fuel.              choice and public confidence will re-
            critics to substantiate their claims, he   that YouTube videos and Instagram   Adding fresh momentum to the   main central to the discussion in the
            questioned whether any owner of an   posts made baseless claims about the   controversy, the Raipur District Con-  months ahead.

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