Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday dismissed the growing criticism against petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol, popularly known as E20 fuel, calling the backlash a “paid campaign.” Speaking at an event organised by industry body CII in New Delhi, the minister said the controversy had died down and asserted that there was no verified evidence of ethanol-blended fuel damaging vehicles.
Gadkari pointed out that more than 20 crore two-wheelers and over three crore petrol cars had been running on ethanol-blended petrol for the past three years, without any confirmed reports of widespread engine failures or breakdowns attributable to the blending. “Three months ago, huge noise was made against the E20 fuel; now rage against E20 fuel is over… It was a paid campaign,” he said.
His remarks came a day after the government notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, permitting flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on fuel containing up to 100 per cent ethanol, or E100. The rollout of E20 petrol, a mix of 80 per cent petrol and 20 per cent ethanol, had drawn flak from opposition parties and certain consumer groups, who raised concerns over its impact on older vehicles not designed for such blends.
India’s Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme began with a pilot project in 2001, and E5 petrol was introduced in 2006. The blending rate hovered at around 1.53 per cent until 2013-14, but has since risen steadily with the expansion of production capacity, infrastructure and a supporting regulatory framework.
On the state of highway infrastructure, Gadkari said he had recently reviewed 700-800 projects after noticing complaints on social media about the poor condition of certain highway stretches. “I am not going to compromise on the quality of the highways,” he said, assuring road users that they would not face inconvenience over the next two years.
Describing infrastructure development as the backbone of the Indian economy, the minister underlined its multiplier effect. “If we are going to spend Rs 100 on infrastructure, the impact on the economy comes to Rs 325. Their GDP is going to increase,” he said.
Gadkari also highlighted the expansion of the national highways network under his ministry, saying it had grown 1.6 times from 91,287 km in 2014 to 1.46 lakh km in 2026. The network of four-lane and wider national highways increased 2.6 times, from 18,278 km to 49,160 km, over the same period, while the high-speed corridor network expanded 12 times to 6,788 km.
The minister further announced that his ministry would introduce a truck body code, following the tightening of the bus body code, as part of efforts to raise vehicle body standards across the country.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/national/e20-backlash-was-a-paid-campaign-says-union-minister-nitin-gadkari-1621313
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Publish Date: 2026-10-27 16:02:00
