GUWAHATI: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has dismissed reports claiming that Bhutan declined an offer to import E20 petrol from India, calling the information incorrect.
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In a clarification issued on Sunday, July 5, the ministry stated that no such offer has been made by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
It further clarified that there is no proposal to export E20 petrol to Bhutan, and therefore, the question of Bhutan rejecting such an offer does not arise.
The ministry urged the public and media to rely only on official information issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Oil Marketing Companies regarding the matter.
The clarification comes after reports circulated in sections of the media claiming that Bhutan had declined an Indian proposal to import E20 petrol.
The clarification comes days after The Bhutanese reported that the Bhutan government had asked India to continue supplying conventional petrol for as long as it remained available in the Indian market.
The publication had cited Bhutanese authorities as saying that the country's ageing fuel storage infrastructure was not equipped to handle ethanol-blended petrol.
It also reported that Bhutan's mountainous terrain requires vehicles to operate at maximum power, with officials expressing concerns that E20 petrol may not provide the consistent performance needed on steep roads.
Bhutan imports the higher export-grade petrol and diesel supplied by India, which is more expensive than the fuel sold at Indian retail outlets.
The reported development came amid ongoing debate over India's rollout of E20 petrol and its potential impact on vehicle performance.