New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the petrol prices will be reduced to Rs 15 per litre if we take a blend of 60 per cent ethanol and 40 per cent electricity.
“Our government is of the mindset that the farmers become not only ‘annadata‘ but also ‘urjadata’… All the vehicles will now run on ethanol produced by farmers. If an average of 60 per cent ethanol and 40 per cent electricity is taken, then petrol will be available at the rate of Rs 15 per litre, and the people will be benefitted. Pollution and import will reduce. The import is of Rs 16 lakh crore, this money will go to the homes of farmers instead…” said Gadkari while addressing the public here at Pratapgarh, Rajasthan.
Currently, petrol in Delhi is being sold at Rs 96.72 a litre while diesel is being sold at Rs 89.62 a litre. Whereas in Mumbai, petrol is available at Rs 106.31 and diesel at Rs 94.27 per litre. While petrol in Kolkata is Rs 106.03 and diesel is Rs 92.76 per litre. On the other hand, petrol is being sold at Rs 102.63 and diesel at Rs 94.24 per litre in Chennai.
On Tuesday, July 5, Gadkari also said the government intends to double the turnover of the automobile industry to Rs 15 lakh crore from Rs 7.5 lakh crore at present.
He said farmers today are not only food providers but also energy providers by producing ethanol and solar electricity. From auto rickshaws to cars, vehicles will run on ethanol and India’s import will reduce and farmers will prosper.In another programme, Gadkari virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 11 highway projects worth Rs 5,625 crore.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also addressed the foundation laying and inauguration programme through video conference from his residence in Jaipur. The chief minister urged the Union Minister to issue a gazette notification soon regarding the declaration of 50 roads in Rajasthan as national highways.
The development of the area will accelerate with the formation of a national highway, he said, adding that construction work should be started soon on the prepared DPR of Jodhpur elevated road worth Rs 2,000 crore. He also urged to complete the remaining works of the ring road at the earliest.
Gehlot said the 9-million-tonne refinery at Pachpadra will increase traffic between Jodhpur-Pachpadra, and it should be connected with Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway to ease the movement of vehicles.
