Odisha's Petroleum Dealers Association has urged the government to reconsider the E20 fuel rollout
The plea comes days after automakers publicly defended E20 petrol as safe for compatible vehicles
The debate around E20 petrol has found a fresh voice, and this time it comes from the very people selling the fuel.
The Petroleum Dealers Association in Odisha has called on the government to reconsider its rollout of E20 fuel, arguing that pump operators are caught in the middle of a dispute they never asked to be part of. The appeal landed just days after several automakers and industry experts publicly stood by the ethanol blend, insisting their vehicles have been tested thoroughly and are ready for it.
Dealers Say They Are Facing The Brunt Of Customer Frustration
Speaking to a news agency, Petroleum Dealers Association President Sasanka Sekhar Sahu explained that fuel station operators have found themselves fielding complaints that rightly belong elsewhere.
Customers experiencing vehicle troubles are increasingly pointing fingers at petrol pumps, even though dealers have no say in national fuel policy. Sahu was blunt about the disconnect, noting that dealers merely sell what the government mandates, yet they are the ones facing angry customers at the forecourt.
He pressed the point further by highlighting a global contrast. According to Sahu, most countries have kept ethanol blending at around 10%, while India has pushed ahead with a 20% blend. He believes a large number of vehicles currently running on Indian roads were never built with E20 in mind, and that mismatch, in his view, is what is driving the complaints piling up at fuel stations.
Mechanical Complaints And Mounting Pressure On Pump Operators
Sahu went on to allege that problems such as clogged carburettors and other mechanical snags have emerged since E20 petrol began rolling out more widely, prompting frustrated customers to confront staff at fuel stations. His comment on the matter was simple and pointed, that the government introduced the fuel and dealers are merely the ones selling it, not the ones responsible for its formulation.
A Rollout Still Dividing Opinion Across The Industry
What makes this intervention notable is how sharply it contrasts with the industry's tone over the past week. Vehicle manufacturers and technical experts have largely closed ranks in support of E20, repeatedly stating that petrol vehicles designed for the blend have undergone extensive testing and pose no real risk when properly maintained.
Yet the dealers' association tells a different story from the ground level, one shaped by daily interactions with worried customers rather than laboratory data. Manufacturers continue to insist that well maintained, compatible vehicles handle E20 petrol without issue, while the people actually pumping the fuel say the complaints are real and growing.
Whether this latest appeal prompts any policy rethink remains to be seen, but it is a clear sign that the conversation around ethanol blending in India is nowhere near settled.
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