The credit for the Central Government's approval for the establishment of ethanol plants in Chhattisgarh and fixing the rate for its procurement goes to the State, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said on Tuesday.
Efforts by the State that began in February 2019 have succeeded in October 2020, Baghel told the media at the Congress headquarters here.
He was commenting on an announcement by Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel.
Baghel said that due to its geographical situation and heavy monsoon, Chhattisgarh grows paddy including sugarcane and maize. It records 1.25 lakh tonnes of paddy production, out of which last year around 80 lakh tonnes were procured.
“On how to utilize surplus paddy led to thinking on converting it into ethanol after testing in the state and other parts of the country. As inter-ministerial permission was required, personal meetings and communications with Central government ministries were done. Finally, when permission was granted, the issue of rate cropped up. Now, it has been fixed as Rs 54 per litre. The total credit goes to Chhattisgarh, which no one can claim,” Baghel said.
“Similarly, a cap on sugar production has been put. To overcome it, the state government has decided to go for ethanol production from remaining sugarcane. So, Chhattisgarh will produce ethanol from paddy and sugarcane," he added.
He said four MoUs have been signed to establish ethanol plants -- two in Mungeli district and one each in Mahasamund and Janjgir districts. More are in offing, said the Chief Minister. It will save foreign currency of the country, he said. He demanded that the Centre should lift the cap of procurement of paddy by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). It should extend the paddy procurement even during the Rabi season including Kharif done by the state government.
On paddy procurement in the state, he said the Central government will release gunny bags in November as production had been hit in the jute industry due to Covid-19. The procurement of paddy in current fiscal is not possible in November, he said.