Towards Diesel-Free Vidarbha, Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates India’s First Private LNG Pump At Nagpur

Inaugurating the country’s first private LNG facility plant at Nagpur on Sunday (11 July), Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has emphasised the importance of alternate biofuels for diversification of agriculture towards the energy and power sector.

In 2019, Nitin Gadkari gave a call for diesel-free Vidarbha to reduce pollution and import dependence. Gadkari has encouraged the use of electric vehicles and CNG-based buses in the region to realise this call.

Speaking on occasion, Gadkari said India is spending eight lakh crores for the import of petrol, diesel and petroleum products which is a big challenge.

“The government has designed a policy that encourages development of imports to substitute cost effective pollution free and indigenous ethanol, bio CNG, LNG and hydrogen fuels. The ministry is constantly working on different alternative fuels. We must use surplus rice, corn and sugar to prevent it from going to waste,” he said.

Talking about flex engines, Gadkari said a decision would be taken in three months, making it mandatory for automobile manufacturers, particularly the four-wheelers and two-wheelers, to make flex engines.

He said several countries like the USA, Canada and Brazil already have them and the cost of the vehicle remains the same whether it is petrol or flex engine.