Diesel cars not the only source of pollution: Goenka
Diesel cars face a series of hurdles in the national capital and it is unfair to paint the fuel as the only source of pollution, Mahindra and Mahindra executive director Pawan Goenka said.
The industry has accepted the one per cent cess on diesel car sales offered by the Supreme Court only because it helps lift the embargo on sales in the city, Mr. Goenka said.
“The industry view has been consistent since December 2015 (when sales of diesel cars with engines over 2,000 cc were put on hold). There is no justification for diesel to be singled out in the fight against pollution,” Mr Goenka said in an interview.
Apart from the 1 per cent cess now levied by the apex court to permit sales of large diesel vehicles, the Delhi govt also levies an extra registration cost on diesel cars while the Centre has imposed higher excise duties.
“The one per cent cess now being levied on such diesel cars is not going to make a difference to the auto company or deter customers per se, but it does mean that one has to pay a penalty even if you meet the regulations laid down,” he said.
On the move to switch to BS-VI emission norms by 2020, he conceded that the auto industry felt it was a challenging target that couldn’t have been met if the government hadn’t pressurised them.
“In hindsight, it is good that the government pushed us on this front, else the attack on the industry for pollution concerns would have been fiercer,” he said.
Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete said that the government and industry are like a family. “If one member of the family gets hurt, it affects the others also. The government will do all it can to support then auto industry,” he said.
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