Gadkari Debunks Ethanol Blending Damage Claims
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has refuted claims that blending ethanol with petrol damages vehicles, stating that it instead diversifies the agriculture sector. He cited data showing that since 2022, 40 million four-wheelers and 200 million two-wheelers have been running on petrol mixed with ethanol without any issues.
Gadkari challenged anyone to come up with complaints about vehicle damage due to ethanol blending, saying 'those with vested interests may have some other story to tell.' He emphasized that the decision to blend ethanol with petrol was made to diversify agriculture towards energy and power sectors, making farmers not just food producers but also energy producers.
Gadkari claimed that leading automobile brands have successfully tested running their vehicles on 100% ethanol without any problems. He added that this move has resulted in additional earnings of up to ₹45,000 crore for farmers in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh since the Union government implemented the use of corn-based ethanol.