Tinsukia, May 1 (PTI) Indian Oil Corp (IOC) rolled out M15 petrol -- 15 per cent blend of methanol with petrol -- on a pilot basis in Assam's Tinsukia district.

Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameswar Teli launched the M15 petrol in the presence of Niti Aayog member VK Saraswat and IOC chairman SM Vaidya on Saturday.

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Teli said that blending fuel with methanol will provide respite from the rising prices.

"Pilot rollout of M15 is a stepping stone towards achieving fuel independence and reducing the import burden," he said.

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Steps are being taken by IOC to make India self-sufficient in energy, he added. The pilot rollout was done in Tinsukia by the company due to the ready availability of methanol, which is being manufactured by Assam Petrochemical Ltd in the vicinity of Digboi refinery, said an official statement.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)