NEW DELHI:

India's new liberalised petrol pump licensing norms allow setting up of EV charging stations and CNG outlets even before the start of petrol and diesel sales, the government has stated.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in a clarification to its November 8, 2019 order that eased norms for setting up of petrol pumps by new entities, said the order provides for petrol pumps selling one new generation alternate fuels like CNG, LNG or electric vehicle charging points alongside retailing petrol and diesel, but does not prescribe an order of them being set up.

"While an authorised entity is required to set up its retail outlets for petrol and diesel... the said entity is required to install facilities for at least one new generation alternate fuels like CNG, biofuels, LNG, electric vehicle charging points etc at the proposed retail outlets," the ministry said in an October 5 notice.

The 2019 order however "does not prescribe the order in which the dispensation of conventional fuels (petrol and diesel) and the new generation alternate fuels would be started, i.e. dispensation of bio fuels and CNG, EV charging can be started before dispensing of petrol and diesel," it said.