South Goa, October 27: Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri maintained on Tuesday that the Central Government holds no immediate intention to increase the ethanol blending ratio in petrol beyond the existing 20 percent threshold.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 29th Energy Technology and Innovation Meet in South Goa, the Minister dismissed claims surrounding higher blending mandates, characterizing negative commentary regarding E20 fuel as misinformed.
Minister Puri declared that the national target was established at 20 percent, affirming that the administration is focused on consolidating this benchmark rather than pushing for higher percentages at present.
The Union Minister highlighted the economic benefits of the initiative, stating that the implementation of E20 petrol allowed the country to save Rs 1,60,000 crore in foreign exchange. He added that approximately Rs 1,40,000 crore from this program has been directly transferred to domestic farmers, supporting rural agricultural income while reducing crude oil import reliance.
