Pune: Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday told sugar mill owners to have patience till April. He was referring to the ban on the use of sugar syrup for ethanol production. He said the Centre will soon find a solution.

Gadkari was addressing a sugar cane conference at Vasantdada Sugar Institute on Wednesday. Former Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who heads the institute, was also present.
Gadkari said that the sugar industry should emphasise ethanol production rather than making sugar.

He told the millers that he was aware of the problems the mills faced. “I do not want to comment (on the Centre’s ethanol policy) but I assure you that it is temporary. I have already discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers. We will resolve it after April,” he added.

After sharp reactions from the industry in Maharashtra over the ban on the use of sugar syrup for ethanol production, the state government had said it would take up the matter with the Centre.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar last December met Gadkari. NCP leader Sharad Pawar also had met Union home minister Amit Shah on the same issue.

Government, on December 16 last year, allowed the use of both sugar cane juice and B-heavy molasses, a byproduct of the sweetener, to produce ethanol while capping the diversion of sugar for this purpose at 17 lakh tonnes.

The decision came barely a week after it had banned the use of cane juice for ethanol production. Sources said the decision was taken at a meeting of the committee of ministers amid demand from the sugar and sugar-based distillery industries to review the order.

Union food secretary, Sanjeev Chopra said, “The flexibility has been given for using both sugar cane juice and B-heavy molasses within an overall cap of 17 lakh tonnes of diversion of sugar.

Soon after government banned the use of cane juice for ethanol production “with immediate effect” on December 7, there were protests in Maharashtra .