Ethanol production will benefit sugarcane farmers as well as can generate employment opportunities for about 50 lakh youth in Maharashtra, said Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday. He was speaking at a conference on “Development of Maharashtra from a New Budgetary Perspective” organized by the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA).
Gadkari said, “The sugarcane farmers from Maharashtra should go for ethanol production as it is the better alternative to petrol and diesel as well as cheaper and environment-friendly. This will help us in controlling pollution as well as increase the income of farmers.”
At present three ethanol pumps are operating in Pune, he said.
“There is a need for 4.5 trillion litres of ethanol in the country and the ethanol production can transform the face of rural Maharashtra,” he further added.
The Indian government is taking various steps to boost ethanol production. To lower the expenditure on foreign exchange government has set a target of blending 20 per cent ethanol with petrol by 2025. The roadmap for ethanol blending in India 2020-25 was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 5 last year on the occasion of World Environment Day.
