Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has urged the Centre to allow manufacturing of ethanol from surplus paddy procured from farmers in the state, citing that the move will aid cultivators, an official said on Wednesday.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief minister also thanked the Centre for fixing the rate of rice- based ethanol production at Rs 54.87 per litre, the official from the public relations department said. "In order to fulfil targets under the National Biofuels Policy 2018, the Chhattisgarh government had been trying for the last 18 months to get permission for production of ethanol from surplus paddy produced in the state," Baghel stated in the letter.
The Centre has fixed the rate of ethanol production from rice provided through Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouse by fuel distribution companies, he said, adding that the state government was grateful for the decision. The chief minister further urged the Centre to allow ethanol production directly from surplus paddy procured in the state, citing that the move will help farmers. At present, the Centre has decided to use surplus stock of rice available with the FCI for production of ethanol, he said. Last month, the state government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with four companies for setting up rice-based ethanol manufacturing units in different districts, the official said.