"We have asked oil companies to ensure that the deadline for introduction of Euro-III emission norm-compliant petrol and diesel in 11 metro cities and Euro-II grade fuels in the rest of the country by April 1 is met in its strictest sense," Petroleum Secretary S C Tripathi said.
The oil companies, he said, had given an undertaking for introduction of the clean fuel programme to the Supreme Court and "it is now their duty to ensure it is met."
"Some heads will roll (if there was slippage in deadline)," he said. "The oil companies should make all efforts to meet the deadline and if there is some genuine problem, we will assess it closer to the deadline."
Tripathi said Indian Oil Corp's Koyali refinery and Reliance Industries' Jamnagar refineries had problems but saw no problems with the introduction of the programme.
The oil companies have informed the petroleum ministry that the deadline for introduction of Euro-III grade petrol could be met through imports but diesel of the same quality could only be introduced in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai,
Bangalore and Hyderabad as Euro-III grade diesel was not available in international markets while the same in Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kanpur and Agra was possible only from May.
Petrol of Bharat Stage-II grade, was feasible as per target date of April 1, 2005 but new schedule would have to be drawn for introduction of diesel of same quality.
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