Union Road Transport and Highway Minister, Nitin Gadkari, on October 1, 2021, inaugurated National Highway projects stretching over a length of 527 km and worth INR 4,075 crore. The event was held in Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra. Bhumipoojan and dedication of these projects to the nation was organized by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The digitaries present on the occasion included Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Shri Sharad Pawar, MP (Shirdi Lok Sabha Constituency) Shri Sadashiv Lokhande, MP (Ahmednagar Lok Sabha Constituency) Dr. Sujay Vikhe Patil and Rural Development and Labour Minister in Maharashtra government and Ahmednagar's Guardian Minister Shri Hasan Mushrif among others.
Speaking at the event, Minister Gadkari shared information about the importance of converting sugar into ethanol. He said that ethanol production could save the country's fuel and there was a need to run vehicles on electricity and ethanol on the lines of Brazil.
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"Our country produced 4.65 billion litres of ethanol last year and we need 16.5 billion litres of ethanol. So the Central Government will take up as much ethanol as is produced," he said. "Ethanol is a better and cheaper green fuel than petrol. All vehicles in the country should run on 100% ethanol. We are importing crude oil and natural gas worth Rs 12 lakh crores in our country. The Government of India has allowed ethanol pumps. So, all sugar mills should start ethanol pumps in their area" he added.
Sharing more emphasis on the same, he said that India needs 240 lakh tonnes of sugar and the country, in 2020, produced 310 lakh tonnes of sugar. This additional sugar of 70 lakh tonnes should have been be converted into ethanol.
Shedding light on the project, he mentioned that the Government of India is ready to enter into an Ethanol Purchase Agreement for five years, like the power purchase agreement. "If ethanol is produced in the near future, imports will come down and farmers will earn Rs 5 lakh crore out of Rs 12 lakh crore being spent for import of crude oil. Sugarcane will fetch good prices and farmers will no longer remain poor," he added.
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As of now, the Central Government has given permission to produce ethanol not only from sugarcane but also from rice, maize and other grains. Logistics parks, industrial clusters and transport towns can be set up wherever land is provided by the state government. Similar plans have developed it the past in Western Maharashtra due to sugar industry and milk production.
Besides this, water, electricity, transportation and communication are important aspects for development of the country. Employment should be created in these sectors in order to eradicate poverty, hunger and unemployment and offer welfare for the villagers, poor, labourers and farmers.
Talking about the project, he said that a total of 527 km road developmemt projects in Ahmednagar district will be implemented through the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, National Highways Authority of India and Public Works Department. These projects include:
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