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Karnataka Industries Minister M.B. Patil on Sunday blamed the Centre for the crisis in the ethanol sector, alleging that the Union Government had encouraged higher production without ensuring adequate procurement and called for an investigation into alleged irregularities in ethanol blending.
Speaking to reporters after meeting AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and conveying his Diwali greetings, Patil said the BJP-led Union Government had announced ethanol blending targets such as E10, E20 and E30 without adequate planning and was now refusing to procure even 20-30 per cent of the ethanol produced. "The BJP-led Union Government, which had earlier pushed for higher ethanol production, is now refusing to procure even 20-30 per cent of the output. There is substance in the allegations made by Rahul Gandhi and Minister Rizwan Arshad that irregularities have taken place in the process. The present crisis in the ethanol sector is a result of the Centre's own lapses," he said. Patil said the government must ensure procurement after encouraging producers to manufacture ethanol, adding that the Centre's approach had raised questions about the future of the industry. Supporting Rahul Gandhi's demand for an investigation into the alleged blending of ethanol with petrol beyond the prescribed limits, Patil said merely denying the allegations did not establish that everything was in order. He added that the state government would also take appropriate action and that Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad would take a decision on the matter. On Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's allegations regarding the continuation of the Hassan Deputy Commissioner in the same post, Patil termed the charges baseless and hit back at the former Karnataka Chief Minister. "Having served as Chief Minister himself, Kumaraswamy should refrain from making irresponsible statements. Would anyone take money from a Deputy Commissioner? He should stop making baseless allegations on such matters every day," Patil said. He said Kumaraswamy, who is currently the Union Minister for Heavy Industries, had initially sought 100 acres of land in Mandya for establishing a vehicle testing and training centre, and the state government had agreed to the proposal. Kumaraswamy was now seeking 500 acres, and the state was willing to consider the request, he added. "The Chief Minister will take the final decision," Patil said. Welcoming Kumaraswamy's efforts to bring the proposed vehicle testing and training centre to Karnataka, Patil said he should also work towards bringing four semiconductor companies to the state. He alleged that the Union Government was using incentives under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to attract companies interested in setting up operations in Karnataka to BJP-ruled states such as Assam, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Patil also accused Kumaraswamy of making false claims that Honda was moving out of Karnataka. Meanwhile, Patil said he would write to the Union Jal Shakti Minister and the Maharashtra Chief Minister opposing reports that the Maharashtra government was planning to construct a dam with a storage capacity of 40 TMC near Ujjani. He said the proposed project, if implemented, could adversely affect the interests of Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in sharing Krishna River waters. Patil said Maharashtra's decision was contrary to the verdict of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal and questioned how the World Bank could extend financial assistance to such a project. (ANI)
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