Centre failed to purchase ethanol: Gadkari

Kolhapur, Feb 26 (UNI) Maharashtra BJP president Nitin Gadkari today blamed the Union government for its failure to purchase ethanol, to be mixed with petrol, even after the lapse of four months since its announcement.

Addressing a news conference here, Mr Gadkari said the Union government had decided to purchase ethanol at Rs 21.50 per litre four months ago but it had not executed the order so far. The government had proposed to mix 10 per cent of ethanol with petrol.

He said consequent to this, the sugar industry in Maharashtra had invested about Rs 4,500 crore in ethanol projects. But the inaction of the Union government had adversely affected sugar industry, which is presently reeling under critical phase.

BJP leader alleged that agriculture growth in the state had fallen due to failure of Democratic Front (DF) government to redress the farmers' problems.

Mr Gadkari said when Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government was voted out of power, the loan amount was only Rs 39,000 crore. But during the Congrss-NCP combine rule, the figure has touched Rs 1.47 lakh crore.

State deputy Chief Minister R R Patil and state finance minister Jayant Patil were deceiving the people with bogus statements, he charged.

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