Surging petrol prices are agitating people: Nitin Gadkari

Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that citizens can get some respite from surging petrol prices by utilising alternate fuels such as ethanol, LNG and CNG.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday inaugurated India's first commercial liquified natural gas (LNG) filling station in Nagpur. Gadkari stated that citizens can get some respite from surging petrol prices by utilising alternate fuels such as ethanol, LNG and CNG. He added that rising petrol prices are now "agitating" people.

The Road Transport Minister explained that despite ethanol's low calorific value compared to petrol it can be used as vehicle fuel. Doing so would help save people at least Rs 20 per litre. He added that the Road Transport Ministry is likely to soon make an announcement regarding a policy for flex-fuel engines. This policy will encourage automobile manufacturers to produce such engines. Flex-fuel engines can operate using one fuel as well as a mixture of different fuels.

Gadkari said, "Now, we have invited all private companies, including PSUs, in the field. Even you can import LNG". He added that cleaner fuel has a greater future in the country. He stated that LNG is gaining prominence as the fuel of choice for long-haul transport.