Uproar in Punjab Assembly over E-20 Petrol; Cheema seeks ethanol-free fuel option for older vehicles; Watch Video
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, August 4, 2026: The issue of ethanol-blended E-20 petrol dominated proceedings in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on the second day of its monsoon session, with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema raising concerns over its alleged shortcomings and possible impact on vehicles.
Cheema moved a resolution in the House seeking an alternative fuel option for owners of older vehicles and those not compatible with E-20 petrol.
He demanded that such vehicle owners should be allowed to use ethanol-free pure petrol and called for a compensation mechanism in cases where vehicles suffer damage due to the use of E-20 fuel.
The Finance Minister urged the Punjab Assembly to forward the resolution to the Central Government for further action.
During the discussion, Cheema took a swipe at ethanol manufacturers, saying that those involved in ethanol production were also present in the House.
Responding sharply, Congress MLA and industrialist Rana Gurjit Singh said, “I am a karma yogi, not a bandit.”
Defending his business interests, Rana Gurjit said his industrial ventures had evolved over the years, beginning with yarn manufacturing, followed by sugar production and later ethanol manufacturing.
He said ethanol production had created a market for maize grown by farmers, with the crop currently fetching around ₹24 per kg. Rana Gurjit added that if the government decided to discontinue ethanol production, his business would move to another sector.