MEERUT: Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the sugarcane farmers of western Uttar Pradesh and announced that the government will give a big boost to the production of ethanol from sugarcane. Union minister of state for agriculture Sanjeev Balyan spoke to TOI and gave details of the government's plan. He also said that the government plans to export 32 lakh metric tons of sugar by the end of the financial year.

"There are close to 650 sugar mills in the entire country but only 156 of these mills produce ethanol from sugarcane. The others don't even have ethanol producing units on their premises. In line with the Prime Minister's vision, we plan to give a huge boost to ethanol production in the country. We will incentivize the production of ethanol by giving loans to sugar mill owners who will set up ethanol production plant in their units. This money will come out of the Central government's Sugar Development Fund (SDF)," the minister said.

He added saying, "Last week, we had announced that we will double the target of blending ethanol in gasoline to 10%. This is also part of the larger plan to boost the production and use of ethanol in India."

The Prime Minister, in his address on Thursday, thanked the sugarcane farmers of western UP for "sweetening the taste in the country's mouth". However, Modi expressed concern and mounting cane arrears and the problem of overproduction of sugar by sugar mills. The PM said that if more sugar is produced than is needed, the government may halt the production of sugar and ask mills to produce ethanol instead. According to Balyan, the government is in the process of helping mills to set up infrastructure to produce ethanol.

While ethanol production is a long-term solution, Balyan told TOI that the government also has immediate plans. "We plan to export over 32 lakh metric tons of sugar by the end of the financial year. There is a problem of overproduction. We produce more sugar than we need in the country. The immediate solution is to sell sugar outside the country. Every sugar mill has been given export targets that they have to meet."

On the upcoming Delhi-Meerut expressway, Balyan said, "As the MP and a resident of Muzaffarnagar, I can tell you that this project will change the lives of the people of western Uttar Pradesh. It takes me five hours to travel from Muzaffarnagar to Delhi. With the creation of the highway, I will be able to reach within an hour and a half. It takes 45 minutes to reach Meerut. With the expressway, it will take just another 45 minutes to reach from Meerut to Delhi."

Balyan was all praise for his colleague, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari. "The expressway is scheduled to open in 30 months. However, given the pace at which Gadkari Ji works, I wouldn't be surprised if the work gets done before time," he said.