Patna, April 30 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday inaugurated the first evergreen field grain based ethanol plant of the country in Purnea district. After inaugurating the plant set up at an expenditure of Rs 105 crore by Eastern India biofuels Private Limited, Nitish Kumar told news persons that the plant was set up following centre and state’s nod to the ethanol production promotion policy 2021.
The Chief Minister said that his government was contemplating to set up ethanol plant in the state since 2007 but the then union government did not approve the state’s proposal for it. He said that ethanol in this plant would be produced through maize, sugarcane and rice and added that he also reviewed how ethanol will function along with petrol and diesel . The Chief Minister said that earlier the limit of Ethanol was fixed up to 10% in petrol and diesel but now the limit has been increased to 20 %.
He said that ethanol manufacturing would benefit the country and the people of this region. Preparations for opening ethanol plant at other places were on final stage, he said adding that Bihar produces maximum amount of maize and the ethanol plants would utilise them benefiting the local farmers apart from providing job opportunity to the local people.
