Nitin Gadkari reveals plans to sell petrol at Rs 55, diesel at Rs 50 per litre

New Delhi : Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari claimed that Chhattisgarh has immense potential to replace diesel and petrol with bio-fuel.

In a public address, Nitin Gadkari revealed that use of alternative fuels for transport will cut down trading fuels like diesel and petrol.

He was in Chhattisgarh to lay foundation stone for eight construction works worth Rs. 4,251 crore, including four fly-overs between Raipur to Durg yesterday.

"Growth rate of the agriculture sector in Chhattisgarh is very good. Production of rice, wheat, pulses and sugarcane is abundant here, but the state can also emerge as a bio-fuel (production) hub," he said.

He also mentioned how an airplane used biofuel to take off from Dehradun and successfully land in Delhi.

The state has immense potential for production of bio-fuel which will create job opportunities for farmers, tribals and forest-dwellers and empower them, he said.

"We have decided to exempt vehicles including auto-rickshaws, buses, taxis run on alternative fuels like ethanol, biodiesel, CNG, methanol and bio-fuel from permit requirements," he said.

"Our petroleum ministry is setting up five ethanol plants, where the fuel will be produced from paddy straw, wheat straw, sugarcane and municipal waste. (Consequently) Diesel will be available at Rs. 50 per litre and petrol at Rs. 55," he said.