Ethanol has saved India's sugar industry: Nitin Gadkari
What's the story
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that India's sugar industry has survived due to the introduction of ethanol. He made the statement at a Naam Foundation event in Pune on Sunday. The senior BJP leader also stressed the need for new farming technologies and linked farmer suicides in Maharashtra's Vidarbha and Marathwada regions to water scarcity.
Water crisis
Water main cause behind farmer suicides: Gadkari
Gadkari said that "water was the main cause behind the suicides of farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions." He emphasized that if water was available in abundance, farmers wouldn't have to take such extreme steps. The minister praised Naam Foundation's work in water conservation and for the welfare of children of deceased farmers.
Tech push
Need to bring technology into farming sector
Gadkari said there is a need to bring technology into the farming sector, adding that experiments in this regard have already been undertaken. He also highlighted the economic benefits of ethanol, saying "we import fossil fuel worth ₹22 lakh crore, and ethanol helps reduce this dependency." The minister stressed that sugarcane cultivators and sugar mill operators have survived mainly because of ethanol.
Policy defense
Controversy over ethanol
Gadkari's remarks come amid political criticism over the rollout of E20 fuel, a 20% ethanol-blended petrol. The Congress party has accused him of conflict of interest, alleging that he has been "aggressively lobbying" for ethanol production while his sons are involved in firms producing ethanol. However, the BJP has rejected these allegations and defended Gadkari's stance on the issue.