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Cultivation of Jatropha Curcus has been identified as a business activity to transform the rural economy like the green revolution in the past. Addressing a joint meeting of consultative committee of Ministries of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Panchayati Raj, Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar said this could be done in rural areas through the involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions. Shri Aiyar announced that he has set up a joint committee of the Ministries of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Panchayati Raj to make recommendations on modalities of involving Panchayati Raj Institutions in growing Jatropha Plantations. The plants could be raised on community land as an additional crop without altering the prevailing cropping pattern in rural areas; the Minister said.
Harnessing alternative fuels like bio-diesel is of tremendous importance with over 7% growth envisaged for the Indian economy. One of critical ingredient to achieve that is the energy security where at present we are about 70% import dependent for oil and would further go up to about 85% by 2020. Besides providing a source of supplementary income and employment in rural sector, the plantation of oil seed bearing plants like Jatropha Curcus and Pongomia ( from which bio-diesel is extracted) can lead to gainful use of waste/semi arid land involving Panchayati Raj Institutions. Bio-diesel is a highly environment friendly.
Considering the significant implication of producing bio-diesel, the Government has envisaged launching National Mission in bio-diesel and Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared for obtaining ‘in principle’ approval of the Planning Commission. Petroleum Ministry has committed to the nodal ministry in this regard i.e. Ministry of Rural Development that the oil marketing company will extend blending and marketing support for purchasing bio-diesel produced through national mission.
Replying to the suggestions/queries of members, Shri Aiyar pointed out that it would be possible for individuals to take up Jatropha cultivation in residual areas, common land, hedges for farms etc. through Panchayati Raj Institutions. Regarding suggestion for adopting plantation of bio-diesel plants as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the Minister said that this issue would be examined/considered by the Government while the DPR is taken up at the Planning Commission. The full details about cost-economics of undertaking Jatropha Plantation would also be made public for the benefit of farmers and Panchayati Raj Institutions.
In a presentation to the members it was informed that the experiments by oil marketing companies in use of bio-diesel blended with diesel in transportation have given technically satisfactory results. As the experiments have revealed cost of bio-diesel as an issue, fiscal concessions required for promoting bio-diesel may include exemption from import duty on bio-diesel, plant & machinery and suitable excise relief etc. Under directions of Petroleum Ministry, Petroleum Conservation and Research Association (PCRA) has opened a bio-fuel center and is working on building awareness for Jatropha Curcus cultivation and manufacture of bio-diesel. Besides, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) are experimenting with various mixes of bio-diesel with diesel in State Transport Buses in Haryana, Gujarat and Mumbai.
In line with the synergy envisioned with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has identified roles assignable to three tiers of Panchayati Raj in a drive through cultivation bio-diesel plants. This include creating awareness amongst people through various mass media, identification of Panchayats/Clusters of Panchayats for this programme, collaboration with National Oil Seed and Vegetable Oil Development (NOVOD) Board, National Dairy Development Board, providing support through district level forest and agriculture officers, liaison with PCRA etc.
Bio-diesel, a diesel fuel substitute, is an agro-based product. It can be made from virgin or used vegetable oils (both edible & non-edible) and animal fats. Bio-diesel as an alternative to diesel or as part of replacement of diesel, offers several advantages e.g. bio-diesel can be easily used without major modification in engines. It needs no separate infrastructure for storage and dispensing and the existing tankage and dispensing station of conventional diesel can be used. Bio-diesel is safe to handle and the flash points of bio-diesel is higher than conventional diesel.
The activities in the value chain of producing bio-diesel have different components. Beginning with large scale plantation of oil-bearing plants like Jatropha Curcus, Pongomia etc., the next stage involves collection of oil bearing seeds and extracting oil from the seeds in expeller units. Thereafter, the oil is put through Trans-esterification process in the specially put up plants for making bio-diesel from oil. This is followed by blending of bio-diesel in diesel for commercial use and transportation of bio-diesel blended diesel for distribution at retail outlets.
Members who attended the Meeting from Lok Sabha are Shri Manvendra Singh, Shri G.V. Harsha Kumar, Smt. Preneet Kaur, Shri Kishan Singh Sangwan, Shri Annasaheb Patil, Shri Jaswant Singh Bishnoi, Prof. Rasa Singh Rawat, Dr. Arun Kumar Sarma,, Shri Baleshwar Yadav, Shri Suraj Singh, Shri A.P. Abdullakutty, Shri Lakshman Chandra Seth, Ms. M.S.K. Bhavani Rajenthiran, Shri Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta, Shri Prakash V. Paranjpe, Shri S. Ajaya Kumar, Shri G. P. Singh and Shri S.P. Saroj while from Rajya Sabha, Shri Raju Parmar, Prof. Alka Balram Kshatriya, Shri Nandi Yellaiah, Shri D. N. Sharmah, Prof. R. D. Bhandary and Shri Rajkumar Dhoot.
RCJ/SB/KC
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