The government on Tuesday extended the deadline for the mandatory supply of ethanol-blended petrol in nine major sugarcane-producing states and four union territories by three months to September 30, this year.

While reiterating the government's resolve to ensure full coverage of petrol doped with five per cent ethanol by 2004, Petroleum Minister Ram Naik said, "The extension was necessitated by the relative slowness in establishing the production infrastructure for anhydrous ethanol in some states and union territories."

"It has resulted in inadequate ethanol supplies," he told reporters in New Delhi.

Tracing the progress of implementation of the programme to date, he said Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and union territories of Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli have achieved full coverage.

Partial coverage has been achieved in Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, while Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry were still finalising their infrastructure development plans. Goa and Daman & Diu would be fully covered shortly.

Naik expressed concern at the heavy dosage of state levies on ethanol and blended petrol.

"I have convened a meeting of the state chief ministers for fiscal concessions for the environment friendly fuel, besides simplification of excise procedures and the removal of physical barriers to unrestricted inter-state movement of the product," he said.