Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has said besides ‘Swachha Bharat’, making India the pollution-free country is also the aim of the Centre and it will encourage to use alternative fuel on large scale to achieve this goal.
He was speaking after inaugurating bus manufacturing facility of Sweden-based Scania Commercial Vehicles India Pvt. Ltd. (Scania CV) at Narasapaur Industrial Area near Kolar on Tuesday.
The centre will not hesitate even to throw in to the dustbin ‘the redundant’ Motor Vehicle Act in order to facilitate use of ethanol.
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India is spending Rs. eight lakh crore annually to import fuel. The result of it is pollution everywhere, he said. Hence the government has decided to accord priority to encourage eco-friendly fuel in general and ethanol in particular, Mr. Gadkari added. Utilisation of locally available resource for generating energy to run vehicles and to produce bio-gas as well as bio-diesel is important, he stressed.
Karnataka’s system praised
Mr. Gadkari said the transport system in most of the States in India including Uttar Pradesh was not good. However, he said, it is very good in Karnataka, he added.
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The Centre will also accord priority to develop inland waterways in the country, he said.
Speaking as chief guest, Swedish Minister for Infrastructure Anna Johanson said India is a fast growing economy. Better transport facility will help immensely in economic growth, she said.
Scania CV president and Chief Executive Officer Martin Lundstedt, Managing Director Anders roundstormer, MP K.H. Muniyappa participated among others.