CM demands union finance min to allow Chhattisgarh to make ethanol from paddy

Raipur: Chhattisgarh chief
minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday virtually attended the meeting of chief ministers
of all the states of the country organized under the chairmanship of Union
Finance Minister Dr. Nirmala Sitharaman.

He discussed many financial
matters of the state with the Union Finance Minister. Baghel said that Chhattisgarh
has completed the target of 35 per cent capital expenditure set by the Central
Government in the first and second quarters.

Stating that Chhattisgarh
is known as rice bowl where paddy is produced in abundance, chief minister said
that for the last two-three years, the state government is requesting to allow
bio-ethanol production from paddy. He urged the Union Finance Minister that if
the Central Government gives permission, then the State Government will be able
to use the surplus paddy for making ethanol. He said that this would benefit
the state and farmers as well as save foreign exchange spent by the Government
of India on import of petroleum products.

Baghel told the Union
Finance Minister that preparations have been made by the state government to
make ethanol from paddy in the state. MoUs have also been signed with 12
companies for setting up ethanol plant from paddy. He also informed that the
state has got permission to make ethanol from sugarcane and maize. He urged the
Union Finance Minister to get permission to manufacture ethanol from paddy.

He said that the union
food ministry has given consent to take 61.65 lakh metric tonnes of rice from
the state of Chhattisgarh in the year 2021-22. He said that the Central
Government has taken the decision not to take that rice from the state of
Chhattisgarh. This decision of the Central Government is not in the interest of
the state, its millers and workers. He said that there are about 500 Usna mills
in the state with a production capacity of 5 lakh metric tonnes per month. This
decision will close the mills. The laborers working in the mills will become
unemployed.

He also drew attention
of union finance minister towards the coal penalty amounting to Rs.4140 crore
for the share of Chhattisgarh state deposited in the Central Pool of the
Central Government and requested to return this amount to the Chhattisgarh
state.