Centre, Delhi join hands on CNG issue

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 22. The Centre and the Delhi Government today agreed to jointly approach the Supreme Court this coming week to seek an extension of the September 30 deadline for phasing out of all non-CNG commercial vehicles in the Capital. They also decided to seek a dual fuel policy for the city instead of putting the entire transportation system on the single-fuel mode ``which was full of dangers and would result in disaster.''

It was also decided to discourage the use of CNG by private vehicle owners in the Capital. Both governments would press for allowing the use of 0.05 per cent low sulphur diesel for running of buses in the Capital. In addition, it would be pleaded before the Court that all commercial vehicles which fulfil the Euro-II standards should be allowed to ply in the city. Though both the Centre and the State would file separate affidavits, these would contain common points. The Centre would also go out and support the Delhi Government's stand on the issues concerning CNG.

These decisions were taken at a meeting between the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dikshit, and the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Mr. Ram Naik. The Minister of State in PMO, Mr. Vijay Goel, and the Delhi Transport Minister, Mr. Parvez Hashmi, were also present. The meeting was called following the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee's directive to Mr.Naik to sit with Ms. Dikshit and sort out the issue.

Ms.Dikshit said the Central Government would request the court that in view of the high powered Committee appointed under, Dr.R.A. Mashelkar, to suggest an ``Auto Fuel Policy'' for the entire country, it would be appropriate to extend the deadline as it was not possible to convert the entire 10,000-odd bus fleet into CNG during the prescribed time frame. The Mashelkar Committee is expected submit its report within a period of six months.

The Chief Minister said time was required to implement the court directives and Delhi was the only city in the world to have about 60,000 vehicles running on CNG. Referring to the coordinated approach on the issue, Ms. Dikshit said this would take into account the details about the number of vehicles to be run on CNG, eliminating long queues outside CNG filling stations, the CNG fuel requirements of Delhi and the ways and means to implement the directive of the court.

The Supreme Court had on September 17 refused to relax the only CNG norm for the city's buses but said it had never insisted on CNG for taxis and autorickshaws. Mr. Naik said the Centre would insist on allowing use of low sulphur diesel for buses in Delhi as putting the entire transportation system dependent on CNG could prove to be disastrous. The Capital relied on pipeline supply for CNG and any disruption would throw the public transport system out of gear. The requirement of CNG for Delhi is sourced through pipelines from gas fields in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Further Ms. Dikshit said the Union Minister had assured her that 87 CNG filling stations would start operating before September 30 and all the queues would stand eliminated. About 14 compressors have been imported and these were being installed. Such a thing would go a long way in eliminating queues outside filling stations in the Capital, she said quoting Mr. Naik.

The Chief Minister said she had impressed upon Mr. Naik to ask the Central Government counsels to kindly state before the Supreme Court the thousands of crores of the State Government and private people involved in the CNG infrastructure. Any decision should be taken keeping in mind this mind boggling investment, she added.

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