India's Environment Minister thinks that Driving heavy, luxury personal vehicle should be liable for criminal offense in India.

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With the increase in the SUV and luxury car from Europe which doesn't have any fuel efficiency sense is worrying India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Use of Sports Utility Vehicles in countries like India is 'criminal', Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said and pitched the need for evolving an effective fuel policy regime to discourage the use of such vehicles that emit more carbons.

"The luxurious growth of large-size vehicles like SUVs is really a growth of concern... use of vehicles like SUVs and BMWs in countries like India is criminal," Ramesh said at a UN function here.

"I think, we seriously need to think about fuel policy regime," he said.

The Minister said there should be a reformed diesel policy as the real beneficiaries of the diesel subsidy are the owners of the 'BMWs, the Benzs and Hondas' and not farmers.

Ramesh said the transport sector contribute 7.5 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the country and this is expected to be 15 per cent in the next 15 to 20 years.

"We are worried and we are looking at how to control these emissions from transport sector. For this to happen, there should be mandatory fuel efficiency standards," he said.

The minister added that a national transport policy committee has been constituted and the committee will give its recommendations in next 12 to 15 months.

- PTI Inputs

India's Environment Minister thinks that Driving heavy, luxury personal vehicle should be liable for criminal offense in India.