====================================================== (PIB NEWS) The environment friendly Bharat Stage-IV (Euro-IV) auto fuels namely petrol and diesel were launched in Delhi today. This, together with CNG which mandatory for public transport, makes Delhi having supply of the cleanest auto fuels in the world. To mark the occasion, Shri Murli Deora, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Smt. Sheila Dikshit , Chief Minister of Delhi and Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas flagged-off the truck tank –lorries of IOC, HPC and BPC from Bijwasan Oil Terminal in Delhi, were through video-conferencing arranged at the SCOPE Auditorium near CGO Complex in Delhi. Among other dignitaries Petroleum Secretary Shri S Sundareshan, CMD IOC and senior officers of Petroleum Ministry and Oil PSUs and oil industry representatives were also present. Speaking on the occasion Shri Deora informed that arrangements have been made to ensure availability of Petrol and Diesel conforming to Bharat Stage-IV norms from 1st April, 2010 in all the 13 cities specified in the road map, namely, 4 Metro cities, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Surat, Ahmedabad, Pune and Sholapur. Shri Deora also said that the launch of new and upgraded fuels will enable the citizens of Delhi and the NCR to use environment friendly transportation fuels of international standards. He recalled that 10 years back Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, in association with Delhi Govt., started an ambitious programme to supply CNG for all Public Transport vehicles along with PNG for domestic use. Delhi was one of the world’s 10 most polluted cities, with vehicles contributing about 65 per cent of the polluting emissions. Shri Deora pointed out that today, Delhi has now transformed itself into a show piece with improved and safe air quality and its entire public transport fleet converted to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) at a scale unparalleled anywhere else. “IGL provides CNG to nearly 3,50,000 vehicles, including about 2 lakh private vehicles. This effort by IGL has significantly contributed in reducing pollution in Delhi. The launch of BS-IV fuels will further strengthen the State Government’s efforts for a cleaner and greener city,” he added. He also complimented Public Sector oil marketing companies – Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation – for their sincere and dedicated efforts in actualising the road map for green fuels drawn up as part of the National Auto Fuel Policy, in spite of several constraints. Runaway growth in consumption of Petrol and Diesel in the recent past, and constraints, both economic and physical, in executing fuel quality upgradation projects at the refineries added to the problems of the oil companies. The Minister further informed that while most refineries have completed and commissioned the fuel quality upgradation projects for both BS-IV and BS-III Petrol and Diesel, the remaining ones are in the final stages of completion. Informing about the under recoveries incurred by the Oil Marketing Companies Shri Deora said that as on date, the under-recovery on sale of petrol is Rs.6/litre, on diesel Rs. 4/litre, and LPG is Rs. 267/cylinder and SKO is Rs. 17/litre and would be about Rs.45,000 crore during the year 2009-10. He added that the Government have kept these prices under check to help the ‘Aam Adami’ despite high volatility of the crude oil prices in international market. The greatest challenge for the oil sector is to ensure that the petroleum refining, transport & distribution and marketing infrastructure grows in line with the rising demand in the country and that the quality of products and services improve in line with customer aspirations. Smt Dixit complemented Shri Deora, Shri Jitin Prasada and the oil industry for this important initiative towards improving the ambient air in Delhi. This she said will help Delhi to be amongst the best cities of the world. Delhi CM thanked them on behalf all its citizens as the better air quality is important for better health of the people. This mile stone is also significant in the contex t of the Common Wealth Games to held here later this year, she added Shri Jitin Prasada elaborated various measures being taken by his Ministry for providing quality services like, Toll-free complaint number and SMS booking for LPG. The Plan to roll-out PNG in over 200 cities in near future will help make available LPG cylinders for the rural house-wives, thus help them in making their Kitchens smoke-free. He also informed that the oil companies invested over Rs 30,000 crore to upgrade refineries so that environment friendly fuels in terms of the Auto-Fuel Policy are supplied. Petroleum Secretary also complemented the oil PSUs in upgrading their refineries to produce these higher-grade fuels. He pointed out that the under-recoveries on sale of the products puts a strain on these companies. Besides the under-recoveries estimated for the current fiscal at Rs 45,000 crore, the same would be about Rs 70, 000 crore in next fiscal at current prices. The Euro- IV grade petrol and Diesel would result in additional under-recoveries of Rs 0.41/litre on Petrol and Rs 0.26/ Litre on Diesel. =======================================================
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