Centre wants SC to amend order on conversion to CNG fuel

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 9. The Government today virtually admitted that the supply of CNG (compressed natural gas) was ``not available in unlimited quantities'' and in fact, if all the commercial vehicles on New Delhi's roads were to switch to this fuel, there would be a problem.

The Centre is now keen to ``convince'' the Supreme Court to amend its earlier order directing all buses, taxis and three-wheelers plying in the capital to switch to CNG fuel by September 30.

In view of the ``falling production of natural gas'' at the Bombay High, the Petroleum Ministry, through the Central Government's counsel, proposes to tell the Supreme Court when the CNG matter comes up before it that it should ``accept low sulphur diesel and liquid petroleum gas'' besides CNG as environmentally friendly and non-polluting fuels.

The issue is expected to come up in the next few days as the September 30 deadline, fixed after an extension of an earlier deadline, is fast approaching.

The Centre had so far been blaming the Congress-ruled Delhi State Government for not adhering to the Supreme Court's orders on conversion to CNG. Its claim had been that it had no problem with ensuring a smooth supply of CNG.

But today Mr. Ram Naik, the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, raised the alarm of ``falling production'' of CNG and its inability to meet the demand if this were to go up. The Centre, it seems, is no longer able to pretend there are adequate supplies as mile long queues at CNG ``mother-stations'' have become a common sight in the capital. The BJP MPs from Delhi have already warned their leadership that if the CNG-act is not straightened out, the BJP will have to bear the brunt of public anger.

Besides, tomorrow there is the threatened strike by three-wheeler and taxi drivers to protest against forcible conversion to CNG fuel in the face of inadequate supply, and the BJP is no longer able to pretend that it is the Delhi Government's problem.

Mr. Naik today informed Parliament (through a written reply to a question) that LPG has now become a legally accepted automobile fuel. Public sector oil marketing companies had already identified 228 locations in metros and other cities for setting up stations for the supply of LPG and these would be increased if the fuel is accepted by the consumer.

He later made it clear to reporters that this would not be done by curtailing the supply of LPG as a domestic cooking fuel. The Government intended to import additional LPG for use as automobile fuel which ``will be priced commercially'' and ``will not be subsidised unlike cooking gas.''

Mr. Naik said the Centre would place before the Supreme Court the views of Parliament that beside CNG, low sulphur diesel and LPG should also be considered as eco-friendly fuels. Acting on the Supreme Court's instructions, diesel with only 0.05 per cent sulphur (as against 0.25 per cent earlier) would now be made available and ``this was the international norm'', he said.

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