Farmers Movement Archive

Gadkari claim about ethanol mere rhetoric, say farmers

MEERUT Union minister of surface transport Nitin Gadkari’s assurance to farmers that they would soon be known as ‘ urjadaata’ (energy-giver) by introducing ethanol as alternative fuel for vehicles has had least impact on sugarcane farmers who believe it to be as another ‘jumla’ (mere remark or rhetoric) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to please farmers ahead of the assembly elections in UP. Launching the party’s ‘Jan Vishwas Yatra’ from Bijnor on Sunday, Gadkari had announced that ethanol would be used as an alternative to petroleum fuel in coming years. He said ethanol was produced from sugarcane and rice, so farmers would be in the role of ‘ urjadaata’ in coming years. He also shared that vehicles’ engines were being modified to use ethanol as fuel and separate ethanol pumps would be opened to ensure easy availability of this alternative fuel. Responding to claims of the union minister, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said that farmers’ benefits depended on honest implementation of policies and plans. He said the state governments of Chhattisharh and Odisha had sought permission for production of ethanol but it was pending with the union government. “Permission to produce ethanol in states would benefit rice and sugar mills and farmers would receive subsequent benefit out of it by selling them their produce at MSP,” he explained. Tikait suggested to first use ethanol in tractors and vehicles in Delhi as well as Delhi Transport Corporation buses to know its real impact before applying it to other vehicles. He reiterated that the farmers’ condition could not be improved without giving direct subsidy. “Inflation is at a high and the government is investing very little in education, health and other segments which are directly associated with the welfare of people,” he said and shared that leaders of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha would meet in Delhi on January 15 to discuss and decide the future course of action regarding issues of farmers and farming. Surendra Singh, national vice president of BKU (Asli), was more critical and made no bones in admitting that the BJP had lost peoples’ trust. He said,“What Gadkari said seems another attempt of BJP leaders to woo farmers by tossing another ‘jumla’”. He said that 10 percent ethanol was already being mixed in petroleum fuel and questioned, “How much did it help to improve farmers’ financial condition? Were farmers not ‘ urjaadata’ then?” Plant head of Daurala Sugar Mill Sanjay Rastogi explained that the government was in the process of developing flexi fuel so that vehicles could have choice to use any of these, including ethanol. He said the government’s target was to mix 20 percent ethanol in petroleum fuel by the end of 2025 and it was a good move to decrease the load on the exchequer because the major part of fuel was imported. He said that sugar production was high in the country and such policies would help utilize produce of farmers in making bi-products like ethanol, so farmers would certainly get advantage out of it.

Hindustan Times

23-12-2021

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