Dispelling doubts about state-owned oil retailers? preparedness to supply Bharat Stage-III auto fuel, the petroleum ministry has said retailers have started supplying it in Goa earlier this month and are set to cover all major states by June 30.
Ministry officials told FE that BS-III compliant fuel (the local version of Euro-III) will be available in three more states?Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra?by the end of next month. It will be extended to 15 other states and to five union territories by the end of June. That would cover more than half of the country.
“The oil industry undertook a massive task of upgradation of refineries, involving investments of over Rs 32,000 crore? The industry is fully prepared for introducing BS-III petrol and diesel in the country. By June 30, BS-III fuels will be available in major parts of the country, in 19 states and in all union territories except Lakshdweep,” the official said. Nine other states and Lakshadweep would get BS-III fuel by September this year, covering the entire nation except the cities where higher grade BS-IV fuel is made available from April, the official said on conditions of anonymity.
In the mean time, the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority for the national capital region chairman Bhure Lal told the petroleum ministry that it supported the ministry’s schedule for introducing BS-III fuel. The authority has asked the ministry of road transport and highways, the implementing body for fuel standards in motor vehicles, to adhere to the petroleum ministry’s schedule for BS-III and BS-IV fuel for ensuring compliance by auto makers. The road transport ministry wants to give six more months for auto makers to make vehicles compatible with BS-III fuel. It has proposed amendments in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to exempt vehicles manufactured between April 1, 2010 and September 30, 2010 from following the fuel standards under BS-III. Vehicle makers argue that BS-III fuel should be made available across the country from the same date, which could be October 1. The authority has said no deviation from the petroleum ministry’s schedule is acceptable.