Petrol Price Hike: Nitin Gadkari says 'farmers and tribals can make biofuel and fly aircraft'

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday presented the solution to bring down the skyrocketing prices of fuel. He urged the farmers to produce ethanol and use it as a replacement for petrol and diesel. Addressing a public gathering in Durg, the Nitin Gadkari said:

"We import fuel worth Rs. 8 lakh crore, Rupee value is falling vs Dollar. I have been saying since 15 years that farmers and tribals can make biofuel and fly aircraft. Our new technology can run vehicles on ethanol."

Nitin Gadkari also stated that Chhattisgarh has immense potential for production of bio-fuel. Highlighting the initiatives taken by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in the state, he said:

"Ethanol will be produced from wood products and segregated municipal waste. Diesel will be available at Rs.50 per litre and petrol alternative at Rs.55 per litre",  Nitin Gadkari added.

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Fuel prices have been witnessing a hike in several states across the country over the past few weeks. Petrol is sold at a record high rate of Rs. 80.73 per litre in New Delhi and diesel at Rs 72.83 per litre. On the other hand, the price of petrol rose to Rs 88.12 per litre in Mumbai, while diesel is being sold at 77.32 per litre. As a result, it is burning a hole in the pocket of the common man. The Indian rupee is also facing a decline in its value against the US dollar.

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Earlier on Monday, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad held a press conference in which he informed that the root cause behind the rapid increase in fuel prices is the "crisis in international".  

"Petrol and diesel prices are high due to the crisis in the international market. There is political instability in Venezuela whereas Iran is under the pressure of US sanction. We welcome purposeful argument but the reasons for the hike in price not under the control of the government. It is upto the oil-producing countries and several Geo-political factors".

This came after Rahul Gandhi began the Congress' protest at Rajghat, even as in other parts of the country, Congress leaders tried to enforce it. Nowhere was this more apparent than in Mumbai, where the party's president for the city, Sanjay Nirupam, was detained and taken to a police station for trying to force a 'rail-roko' at the busy Andheri station. Also in Maharashtra's capital, the MNS was served a notice by the Mumbai Police under section 149 stating that the party would be held responsible for any law and order situation that may arise from its actions. Hundreds of protestors were detained in Chennai's Mount Road, while in Patna, visuals of hooligans destroying private property, including cars, have been accessed.