Firing Line: Ram Nailk

What we had told the Supreme Court was that if the buses came at the rate of 200 per month, we will be in a position to supply CNG.

Now, suddenly, the scope has been widened. We are, however, trying to meet the increased demand.

Incidentally, this is a state government subject and it too has its responsibility.

How come the government is lackadaisical about promoting CNG?

It is agreed that CNG is a clean fuel but it is not the only clean fuel. Diesel with 0.05 per cent sulphur is also seen as clean fuel.

These issues have been dealt in the Mashelkar Committee Report and Mashelkar is an eminent scientist.

Are you promoting the pro-diesel lobby, as some accuse you of doing?

No one has accused me. If you want to accuse me, it’s a different thing.

Isn’t it difficult to ensure adulteration-free fuel with a multi-fuel policy?

According to Mashelkar, we should fix the acceptable pollution level and not choose the fuel. Adulteration is not limited to diesel and petrol.

But we are ensuring that adulteration in diesel and petrol is checked adequately by increasing the number of mobile labs, and so on.

WHY did you go back on your claim that you had adequate stocks of CNG?

The petroleum minister had earlier said that there was no shortage of CNG. It appears that now our resources have depleted to some extent, plus the information that my ministry received was not quite correct.

That mistake has been rectified however and we are trying to ensure more CNG comes in.