The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas defended the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme against the criticisms regarding costs and food security and stated on Friday that retail prices of petrol in Delhi would have shot up to about ₹125 per litre during peaks of global crude oil if ethanol blending had not been introduced in the country.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas highlighted the significant financial relief extended to citizens amid volatility in international markets, "The result? Nearly ₹30 per litre in savings at the pump during the peak of the crisis. The value of ethanol blending is not about being the cheapest fuel every day. It is about protecting Indian consumers from extreme volatility in global oil markets, strengthening India's energy security, and keeping more of the country's fuel bill within the Indian economy rather than sending it overseas."
