Speaking
at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s residence, the Union minister said that
while the PM had set clear targets for the country, when it came to the state, the ambitions were higher. “While 37
such plants have been sanctioned/inaugurated, the (state) government has
committed to 100 plants,” Puri said.
A plant in
Badaun, spread over 50 acres, in which Rs 135 crore is invested, will produce
14 tonnes of compressed biogas in a day. This was inaugurated on Friday and
eight new plants got the go-ahead today.
In addition to the incentives given by the
Union government, the state offers a grant of uptoRs 20 crore under the bio
energy policy. The
leased rent is low and electricity subsidies are also offered. Since
agriculture residue is available for a short period of time, machines are
needed to collect it optimally and the state government provides grants for the
same.
Burning of
agriculture residue releases a number of toxic emissions which are hazardous to
health. India uses some 5 million barrels of petroleum every day, with about
six crore people visiting pumps daily. “Our economy is growing three times
faster than any other economy in the world; hence it is crucial that we turn to
bio-fuels,” Puri said.
UP
government implemented the State BioEnergy Promotion Programme—2018 to promote
bio-energy enterprises in the state. In addition to the above mentioned
facilities, the programme also offers 100 per cent reimbursement of state GST
for 10 years and 100 per cent exemption in stamp duty on the purchase of land
for the establishment of these enterprises.
Adityanath, meanwhile, said that his
government was committed to implementing the prime minister’s vision of ‘waste
to energy’.
The
state’s policy also focuses on alternative arrangement of feed stock for
bio-energy plants, non-edible oil seeds/plantation of crops like karanj, neem,
castor and jatropha. Small rotation crops likes jowar and energy grass are to
be planted to create additional feed stock for the production of bio-energy in
the state. The work of plantation and
production and value chain development of non-food oilseed crops, small
rotation crops and energy grasses is to be done through farmer-producer
companies or rural entrepreneurs on barren and infertile lands of farmers and
village panchayats.