(ET)
New National Policy on Bio-fuels will provide complete off-take guarantee to the producers, said union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He also said that the oil companies will achieve a higher blending percentage of ethanol in 2017-18 due to higher production of molasses.
He was speaking at the conference on ‘Ethanol as Transport Fuel’ organised at the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune. Explaining the reasons for increasing use of bio-fuels, union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said, “The annual import bill of crude oil is seven lakh crore, which is a problem for the economy. Pollution in cities like Delhi is a cause of concern. There is crisis in agriculture sector as pulses, oilseeds are not getting even the minimum support price. For agriculture to be sustainable, farmers need to get good price. Promotion of bio-fuels will also help to increase employment in rural areas.
