Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various farmer-friendly projects in Bagalkot, Karnataka.
While addressing a rally at the Kerakalmatti village of Bagalkot, Shah listed out various programmes and initiatives of the central government for the welfare of the farmers. He emphasised on the use of ethanol and asserted that it is a multi-facet project that will help farmers.
"A large amount of foreign exchange is spent on import of petrol and diesel in our country. One of its alternative options is ethanol, which is being made from the by-products of sugarcane. My farmer friends, the sweat you sweat becomes ethanol to meet the energy needs of the country," Shah said.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked towards increasing use of ethanol. This is a multi-facet project. On one hand, the income of farmers increases by making ethanol, on the other hand, the sugarcane mills benefit and thirdly, the option of petrol also saves the country's foreign exchange reserves. Through this the country will move towards the path of development and self-reliant," he added.
Shah said that Prime Minister Modi has taken many steps to supply ethanol throughout the country.
"The first step was to reduce the central excise duty on ethanol in 2015. In 2018, the 18 per cent GST imposed on ethanol was reduced to just 5 per cent. In 2018, the government gave permission to manufacture ethanol from every by-product of sugarcane. It will help farmers to get the money of by-products of sugarcane," he said.
"When Modiji came to power, only 1.58 per cent blending (of ethanol in petroleum products) was being done but the Modi government has made a policy for blending up to 10 per cent by 2022. By 2025, we will take it to 30 per cent. Farmers will get money on time, it will increases jobs in rural areas. and it is environmentally friendly," he added.
Home Minister further said that 2600 litre per day ethanol is being made by MRN group.
"These farmer-friendly projects by MRN group will benefit over 40,000 farmer families and create over 6,000 new jobs in the region. I congratulate MRN group for this initiative," he said.
Established in 1995, the MRN group is a business conglomerate with headquartered presence at Mudhol, Karnataka. MRN group is headed by newly inducted Karnataka Minister Murugesh R Nir.
This ongoing visit is Shah's first trip after the Karnataka cabinet expansion which left many BJP leaders displeased. Earlier today, the Minister addressed a public rally at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College ground in Bagalkot district on the second day of his two-day visit to the state.
( With inputs from ANI )
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