Bhopal, Sept. 25 -- Amid the ongoing debate over E20 fuel, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday said that India will soon introduce flex-fuel-engine vehicles capable of running on 100 per cent ethanol. He said the move would help reduce fuel import costs, curb pollution and increase farmers' income.
Addressing a state-level programme in Bhopal, Gadkari said all automobile companies would prepare vehicles with flex-fuel engines in which ethanol could be used as the sole fuel.
"Country's farmers will produce ethanol from maize," Gadkari said, underlining the potential of alternative fuels to create an economically self-reliant model. He said the farmer was now becoming an "energy provider" in addition to being an "annadata".
Gadkari said India imports petrol, diesel and gas worth around Rs 22 lakh crore annually, while ethanol-blended fuel introduced in 2022 is now used in around four crore four-wheelers and 20 crore two-wheelers.
The minister also advocated electric and alternative fuels, calling for affordable electric AC buses and noting that hydrogen-powered buses were being introduced on 10 routes.
Gadkari's remarks came during the launch of the Madhya Pradesh government's Mukhyamantri Sugam Parivahan Seva and PM E-Bus Seva in Bhopal. Gadkari, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Transport Minister Uday Pratap Singh flagged off 351 intercity and intracity buses for seven cities, marking the revival of public transport services in the state after 21 years.
Speaking at the event, CM Yadav said the launch marked a new chapter in fulfilling the government's commitment to public service. He said the public transport service would also benefit people living in remote tribal areas.
Yadav said the new service would provide modern transport facilities for the poor and needy, with buses equipped with CCTV cameras, panic buttons, emergency doors, GPS monitoring and online ticketing, along with passenger grievance and driver-training mechanisms.
Transport Minister Uday Pratap Singh said the service marked the revival of state transport services after 21 years and would make public transport more accessible, safe and modern.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.