Centre for Science and Environment denounces BJP national vice president Madan Lal Khurana, for trying to cover up for the dismal track record and incompetence of his party, ruling at the Centre, in implementing the Supreme Court’s order on CNG. He is misleading both transporters and public alike by demanding status quo.

NEW DELHI AUGUST 28, 2001: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has expressed shock at the manner in which Madan Lal Khurana, BJP national vice president, is out to confuse the public by demanding that transporters be allowed to run buses on low sulphur diesel with 0.05 per cent or 500 ppm sulphur content. He is misleading the public by claiming that 0.05 per cent sulphur diesel is an ultra low sulphur diesel. He is simply demanding a status quo to continue with the quality of diesel that is already available in Delhi anyway. By making this demand Khurana is implying that he or his party is not interested or capable of doing anything more to control vehicular pollution in Delhi.

Instead of pointing fingers at the Congress government in Delhi for the present CNG crisis he should be targeting his own party at the Centre, which is responsible for providing natural gas in Delhi. It is his party colleague, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Ram Naik who is creating all the confusion by raising the bogey of inadequate gas, to hinder implementation of the court order. Khurana is also turning a nelson’s eye at the lackadaisical approach of the Union transport minister B C Khanduri in framing appropriate safety and emissions guidelines for CNG vehicles. The BJP brigand is resorting to obstructionist tactics even as the Prime Minister stated in his independence day speech that this year is going to be the year of implementation.

Clearly, this confusion is being engineered for short-sighted political gains and under pressure from the diesel lobby. There is tremendous corruption in the diesel market. Khurana is also worried, that the CNG crisis if not alleviated soon, may ruin BJP’s chances in the forthcoming municipal elections.

Instead of siding with the corrupt and misguiding transporters, Khurana should use his good offices to get the Court’s order implemented and take a stand with the government to get a good deal for the transporters. The reason why the transporters are resisting the CNG move and are so vulnerable to political machinations is the absence of a good fiscal incentive package to make it easier for them to buy new CNG buses.