Bangalore pays dual fuel rates

Bangalore pays dual fuel rates

Deepa Bhasthi |TNN


Bangalore: Bangalore is polluted and choking. It’s one of the 13 most polluted cities in the country. No surprises there. But its entry into this list has led the civil supplies department of the government to direct oil companies to supply petrol at two different rates in the city.
A little-known fact is that two different rates for fuel are applicable in the city and its neighbourhood. Bangalore has been divided into an informal rationing area (IRA) and a non-informal rationing area (non-IRA) based on emission levels. The first gets only products that match Euro-III standards while the second gets BS-II products only. There is a difference in prices, albeit small.
Indian Oil Corporation sources told TOI that Bangalore is one of the ten cities along with the National Capital Region which follow these standards. As per the civil supplies department directions, the city limits are geographical, not the BBMP area.
As such, Bangalore Urban and Rural districts get different kinds of petrol at different rates. After last Wednesday’s price revision, petrol in IRA costs Rs 50.66 per litre (old rate was Rs 46.28). In non-IRAs, a litre of petrol now costs Rs 50.37 (old rate was Rs 45.99).
Officials said an estimated 80% of the city falls under IRA while fringes like Dobbspet, Kengeri and other places are non-IRA. Location is the parameter for segregation of petrol bunks. Diesel rates are the same in both regions.
Emission standards worldwide are based on the acceptable limits for exhaust in new vehicles. Different standards apply for different vehicle types and compliance is determined by running the engine in a standardized test cycle. Bharat Stage II (BS II) and Euro III standards have been applicable, from different time periods, at NCR and ten cities — Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Kanpur and Agra.