“World Biofuel Day 2018” event was organized in New Delhi with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressing a diverse gathering, consisting of farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs, students, government officials, and legislators. On the occasion, Shri Narendra Modi unveiled a Booklet on “National Policy on Biofuels 2018”, and launched “Pro Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive and Virtuous Environmental Single window Hub”[PARIVESH].
Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation; Shri Ramvilas Paswan, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and Environment, Forest & Climate Change; and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship were also present.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi while addressing a diverse gathering, consisting of farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs, students, government officials, and legislators said biofuels can provide fresh momentum to India in the 21st century. He added that it is fuel produced from crops, which can change lives of people in both villages and cities.
He said that the plan to produce ethanol from biofuel was initiated when Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. After 2014, a roadmap was prepared for the Ethanol Blending Programme. He said that besides providing benefit to farmers, this move helped save foreign exchange worth Rs. 4000 crore last year, and the target is to take this number to about Rs. 12,000 crore over the next four years.
The Prime Minister said that the Union Government is investing significantly in the effort to transform biomass to biofuel. There is a plan to set up 12 modern refineries. A large number of employment opportunities will be created in the process.
The Prime Minister said that schemes such as Jandhan, Vandhan and Gobardhan are helping to transform the lives of the poor, the tribal population, and the farmers. He said that the transformative potential of biofuels can be realized only through the participation of students, teachers, scientists, entrepreneurs and the people. He urged everyone present to help take the benefits of biofuel to the rural areas.