India aims to develop biofuel economy to increase farmers' income and build up energy security: PM Modi
New Delhi, Aug 10 (IBNS): In a major announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his Government aims at developing a Rs. one-trillion biofuel economy to increase the income of farmers, aid India’s energy security and create jobs, in a cleaner environment.
Speaking at an event at Vigyan Bhavan to mark the World Biofuel Day, Modi said the Government’s focus was to make the village economy stronger.
He said state-run oil marketing companies will invest Rs. 10,000 crore setting up 12 second-generation biorefineries for this purpose.
The announcement comes in the backdrop of the Cabinet recently approving the national biofuels policy, designed with a view to reducing energy imports and carbon emissions.
The programme was attended by a cross-section of people, including farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs, students, government officials, and legislators.
Modi said the use of biofuel will strengthen village economy, create new employment opportunities and save foreign exchange on account of oil import.
He said biofuels can provide fresh momentum to India in the 21st century, adding that it is fuel produced from crops, which can change lives of people in both villages and cities.
The PM said that the plan to produce ethanol from biofuel was initiated when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. After 2014, a roadmap was prepared for the Ethanol Blending Programme. He said that besides providing benefit to farmers, this move helped save foreign exchange worth Rs. 4000 crore last year, and the target is to take this number to about Rs. 12,000 crore over the next four years.
The Prime Minister said that schemes such as Jandhan, Vandhan and Gobardhan are helping to transform the lives of the poor, the tribal population, and the farmers. He said that the transformative potential of biofuels can be realized only through the participation of students, teachers, scientists, entrepreneurs and the people. He urged everyone present to help take the benefits of biofuel to the rural areas.
The Prime Minister also released a booklet on “National Policy on Biofuels 2018.” He also launched the “Proactive and Responsive Facilitation, by Interactive and Virtuous Environmental Single-window Hub” (PARIVESH).
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