[n.devdath]

Discourage sale of BMWs, Audis, says Jairam - The Times of India

One more classic case of a senior minister trying to pull India back to its protectionist days.

I m pretty sure that the minister's cavalcade of scores of ageing Ambassadors pollutes much more than the BMWs and Audis that he is ranting against.

[pgsagar]

But at least Ambassadors do not end up on flatbeds like these premium brands.

[srishiva]

I think he is just suggesting that cheap diesel prices are being used by luxury car makers to sell their cars which guzzle fuel and have a bigger carbon footprint. In one way its true that the subsidies are being (mis?)used more by luxurious car makers/buyers.

[swathyd]

The statement is not against any foreign company . It is just against the use of subsidized diesel being used by luxury cars . Actually that subsidies are for trucks that are lifeline of our country . Through subsidy Govt. intends to arrest inflation to an extent .

[wbd8779]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Discourage sale of BMWs, Audis, says Jairam - The Times of India

One more classic case of a senior minister trying to pull India back to its protectionist days.

I m pretty sure that the minister's cavalcade of scores of ageing Ambassadors pollutes much more than the BMWs and Audis that he is ranting against.

The minister is not trying to pull India Back to its protectionist days . He has spoken out only against High priced Premium/Luxury Diesel vehicles . He has spoken from the view of the subsidies which are given diesel fuel .
IMHO it is perfectly correct to levy a higher tax on owners of Big Luxury DIESEL SUV"s and Sedans as anyone who can afford a 70 lac car can certainly afford petrol.

Diesel is subsidized in India primarily to help the agricultural sector and not for use in these kind of vehicles.

And AFAIK he never said that we should not buy BMW"s and Audis"s, this has just been hyped up by the so called "news channels" . Also i think that all the vehicles that i have seen in Delhi VIP convoys are very recent models of the ambassador , which atleast will confirm to BS3 norms, i fail to understand your point about pollution as an ambassador and a BMW both of which confirm to BS 3/4 will pollute the same.

[fi.robin]

Originally Posted by srishiva

I think he is just suggesting that cheap diesel prices are being used by luxury car makers to sell their cars which guzzle fuel and have a bigger carbon footprint. In one way its true that the subsidies are being (mis?)used more by luxurious car makers/buyers.

Exactly. It is time we found a solution the subsidy saga. Subsidy on diesel is primarily meant for farming equipments and public transport and not for luxury cars.

[sgiitk]

He should migrate to the bicycle or Cycle Rickshaw, and travel only by train, or (of course) bullock cart.

[Fillmore]

Originally Posted by fi.robin

Exactly. It is time we found a solution the subsidy saga. Subsidy on diesel is primarily meant for farming equipments and public transport and not for luxury cars.

my one suggestion to this .
If its a diesel model private car > 5L then levy an annual diesel fuel luxury tax on the car.
The tax amount should be > than the savings using subsidized diesel fuel.

[akaush]

I wonder how many of these luxury cars are on roads - 0.1% and how much effect will it make on emissions by not giving subsidies to the people who drive these cars.

Being a minister he should be more critical about things that affect the masses. Although I am a big fan of some of his decisions on environment projects, this statement was not really needed. He should be more worried about things that affect the masses.

[wbd8779]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

He should migrate to the bicycle or Cycle Rickshaw, and travel only by train, or (of course) bullock cart.

I Dont understand this clearly sir , pls go through the article posted by the thread starter , Jairam ramesh was speaking about diesel being used as the fuel for luxury/premium cars in this country , which is NOT the intended use as it is subsidized for Farming/transportation purposes.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by wbd8779

I Dont understand this clearly sir , pls go through the article posted by the thread starter , Jairam ramesh was speaking about diesel being used as the fuel for luxury/premium cars in this country , which is NOT the intended use as it is subsidized for Farming/transportation purposes.

Irrespective of subsidies, it is a well known fact that more and more cars are using diesel fuel across the world and hence most modern engines are diesel engines. BMW/Mercedes are not "pushing" their diesel cars into India because of its subsidy.
Moreover, do you think that a customer who pays 30-100 lac INR for a car will mind the INR 10.00 difference between petrol and diesel per liter?

I m surprised to see such short sighted and narrow minded statements coming from people like him. There are many more issues. Let me list a few:

How many of the BMTC/BEST/DTC buses are non polluting? Not on paper but in the real world.

How many cars that our Govt machinery uses are non polluting and do not steal/sell the diesel that is put into their tanks?


What about the insane amount fuel that is burnt to keep generators running at Govt offices for our babus and ministers at all times?

Wouldn't it be better if Delhi police used cheaper and more efficient hard top Boleros instead of their ageing, polluting Gypsys?

How many autos running across the country do not pollute?

There is all this and more which he can look into if he really wants to curb automotive fuel misuse and pollution levels.

[Parm]

the hon minister should know that the 10-15 year old commercial vehicles like diesel threewheelers, buses, trucks etc pollute more than the private vehicles (SUVs).

because these commercial vehicles end up using adultrated diesel (mixed with kerosene) and hardly undergo fitness tests and use old engine technology.

if all the commerical vehicles are properly taken care of, it will certainly reduce the carbon footprint considerably in India.

[shamanth]

This should be implemented while giving license to manufacturing caring, if govt is worried they should not give license to manufacture diesel cars. Now who will listen to his advise?

[sgiitk]

There is a proposal for a Rs.80k surtax on all Dlesel Cars. Why not just price it with the same excise - in fact based on the calorific value, as in the UK, Germany, Switzerland,etc.

I know the talk is about diesel, but I must say I am totally disappointed by the anti-development attitude of JR (I used to have regard for him once upon a time), and hence the comments. He will like to go back to the bullock cart age!

[Exhaust_Note]

I do 100% agree that rules should be made to ensure that the diesel subsidy reaches only to the ones that are meant for. It is not the question of the percentage or number of private oil burners on the road. All diesel cars (indica included) should have a annual diesel subsidy recovery tax. How to calculate the tax is a question, it can be a combination of usage type (Tourist/ Commercial vs private) and cost of the car.

That said, the authorities should also ensure that their vehicles are non-polluting. Even without looking for them you see 10s and 100s of Light and Heavy commercial vehicles spewing smoke and pollutants, both govt. and private alike.

It is good to work against pollution but we should not be selective.