Bengaluru: Vehicle mileage in Bengaluru has deteriorated because of the poor condition of the roads and not because of ethanol blending with petrol, leader of opposition R Ashoka said Thursday.He accused the Congress govt of manufacturing the ethanol controversy to divert attention from the govt’s “failures”.Pointing to the deteriorating traffic conditions in the city, he told the media that BMTC buses that earlier operated at an average speed of 18 kmph are now managing only 11 kmph.Ashoka said vehicle manufacturers did not complain about engine damage due to ethanol blending, nor did consumers approach courts over the issue. He alleged that only Congress leaders were raising objections, despite more than 80 countries adopting ethanol blending.Defending the Centre’s ethanol policy, Ashoka claimed that blending had led to foreign exchange savings of more than Rs 1.9 lakh crore between 2014-15 and May 2026 and reduced crude oil consumption by over 310 lakh tonnes. Farmers, he said, had received additional income exceeding Rs 1.6 lakh crore.He questioned the state govt’s testing procedures, alleging that it had failed to disclose results of all 63 fuel samples it had collected, with only 11 results being made public. He also accused the govt of not following prescribed procedures for sample collection and testing.Ashoka said the govt should conduct an impartial inquiry and make the findings public instead of creating panic among motorists.He urged Congress leaders to discuss the issue with the Centre rather than undermine farmers’ additional income through ethanol production.
