Govt to launch new scheme of bio-fuel soon

New Delhi, May 17 (UNI) The government today said it would launch a new scheme of bio-fuel after the demonstration phase for its viability was successfully established.

Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the implementation of recommendations of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development, its minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said the launching of the new scheme of bio-fuel was in the demonstration phase for the purpose of R&D and creating awareness.

''After the successful implementation of the project in the demonstration phase establishing its viability, the project will be established on a full scale after due approval from the Planing Commission and the Finance Ministry,'' Mr Singh said.

He said out of the total area of 63.85 million hectares of wastelands under the categories of degraded forests and non-forest wastelands, 36.98 million hectare of treatable wasteland was the acceptable figure for planning by the Department of Land Resources.

The minister said the exercise of updating the Wasteland Atlas had been completed, which showed the current status of various categories of wasteland in the country.

The results of the Wasteland Updating Mission had been the creation of the ''Wasteland Atlas of India, 2003', which was released on November 28 last year.

He said the state governments had been asked to prepare district-wise perspective plan for five years for development of wastelands, which would ensure the utilisation of funds released by the Rural Development Ministry.

''It will be reflected in a single document avoiding commonalities among different departments,'' he added.

To study international experiences in the field of wasteland development, he said, officers of the Department would be sent on study tours and they would participate in international seminars and workshops to benefit from experiences of other countries.

UNI SKS RL HT1950