The panel voiced concern over "inordinate" delay in finalisation of bio-fuels programme and slammed the government for prolonged debates at its various levels on the issue of its "viability or non-viobality".
"The Committee are perturbed to note that there is inordinate delay in finalisation of bio-fuels programme which was started way back in April, 2003...," Standing Committee on Rural Development said in its report on Department of Land Resources.
The programme was started following in-principle approval of demonstration phase by taking up three lakh hectare plantations on bio-diesel producing non-edible oilseeds species (Jatropha and Pongamia) on degraded forest land and waste land.
"However, thereafter, the entire programme has been engulfed in a prolonged debate on the issue of viability or non-viability of the programme amongst the Department of Land Resources, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), Group of Ministers (GoM) and The Energy Research Institute (TERI)," the Committe, chaired by Sumitra Mahajan, said in its report.
"The outcome of this long debate has not only consumed a decade of uncertainty on the issue, but also the entire programme is shrouded in mystery," the report tabled in both Houses of Parliament today said.
Noting that no funds have been allocated for bio-fuel programme for the current financial year, the Committee said, the Department of Land Resources has infromed that the assessment report submitted by TERI is "so negative that there is no scope for going in for further demonstration of Jatropha plantation in the country".
"It has further been informed that it is now for the Union Cabinet to take a decision in the matter.
"The Committee, therefore, recommend that the Department should place the matter before the Union Cabinet at the earliest for taking a conscious decision on continuance or otherwise of bio-fuels programme," it said. PTI TGB RT