Indias B5 program still not country wide

While India’s 5% ethanol-blended petrol program has missed three deadlines (October 1, November 1 and November 15) and is still to take off nationally, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is hopeful of taking the blending to 10% by June 2007, instead of October 2007 if the 5% blending works well and if the industry commits to supply the required ethanol. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has implemented, what was supposed to be a country-wide program, in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Goa, and partly in Maharashtra. Negotiations with more states are going on.  The government had set October 2006 for nationwide implementation, but Petroleum Secretary MS Srinivasan acknowledged that 25% of the country was being targeted by the end of January 2007. Pricing issues have delayed the program on a national scale. (November 21, 2006)