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Ministry accepts Mashelkar Committee report: Naik

The petroleum ministry on Saturday accepted the Mashelkar Committee report, which recommended introduction of Euro-II vehicular emission norms across the country by April 2005, a move that would involve investment of Rs 170 billion by the oil refineries.

Ministry of petroleum & natural gas will now move the Cabinet for approval of the 'Auto Fuel Policy' suggested by the R A Mashelkar Committee, Petroleum Minister Ram Naik told a news conference in New Delhi.

Bharat Stage-II (Euro-II) norms, at present in force in four metros, should be introduced in the entire country from April 1, 2005, the committee had suggested.

Giving details of the Auto Fuel Policy, Naik said, "we will not specify any particular fuel or move to check pollution, but would only lay down vehicular emission norms and matching fuel specifications."

"We will try to bring the policy for approval at the next Union Cabinet meeting on January 8," Naik said, adding that the approved policy would also be submitted to the Supreme Court, which had set January 31 as the deadline for conversion of Delhi's entire transportation fleet into CNG (compressed natural gas) mode.

The Centre would plead for multi-fuel based public transportation system before the Supreme Court as single fuel system is not viable, he said.

The Mashelkar Committee report was discussed with Law and Company Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Vijay Goel on Saturday, Naik said, adding, "we decided to accept the interim report."

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