Can’t afford to ban vehicles run on fossil fuel: Dharmendra Pradhan

NEW DELHI: The government has no plans to ban the sale of fossil fuel-driven vehicles as India cannot afford to do so, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan said — a statement that counters reports that an official deadline for their phaseout is in the offing as part of a larger plan to promote electric vehicles (EVs).

This would come as a respite to automakers and oil companies that are opposed to any move to ban fossil fuel-powered vehicles. Pradhan’s statement also reflects the lack of consensus between different arms of the government on promoting EVs and the ways to deal with the pollution emergency that several Indian cities today face.