Assured supply of BS-VI fuel by 2020: Minister (Lead)

New Delhi : Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday assured the automobile industry of a steady supply of Bharat Stage-6(BS-6) emission norms compliant fuel by 2020.

The Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship was speaking at the 58th annual convention of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

"BS-6 is already in the national capital and there shall be no uncertainty from our side on the things decided together (with multi-ministry and the SIAM association) that from April 1, 2020 supply for BS-6 fuel will be done and there shall not be any change on that front," Pradhan said.

"The industry must go ahead with its plans for the next 10 years without fear of any intervention or change."

The Indian auto industry will fully migrate to manufacturing of only BS VI compliant vehicles on a pan India basis from April 1, 2020.

Earlier, the government had decided to "leapfrog directly from BS-IV to BS-VI grade by 1st April, 2020, skipping BS-V altogether."

The BS-IV grade transportation fuels were rolled out across the country from April 1, 2017.

According to Pradhan, the advances and progress made on generating "Bio-CNG and Bio-Fuel" will make these fuel types cost effective and allow them to compete with electricity as alternative sources of energy for vehicles.

On the related developments, the minister informed the convention that city gas network will now be expanded to 300 districts across the country from 73.

"We have already started the 10th round of CGD (city gas distribution). CNG is cleaner and cheaper, therefore we have 1,400 filling stations. We have made a road map to take this number within 10 years to 10,000. The work will start in September," Pradhan said.