In run-up to Goa Assembly elections, the BJP today tried to woo the farming and fishing communities through various measures to boost their economic status.
"The farmers in India would be producing fuel from the remains of farm products. The fuel that would be generated by farmers would be green one and will also be cost effective," Union minister and BJP's election in-charge for Goa Nitin Gadkari said addressing a BJP rally in Sanvordem constituency in South Goa.
Gadkari said farmers in his home region of Vidarbha in Maharashtra have already started the "revolution" by producing fuel from farm produce.
"Vidarbha has shown to the world thatfarmers can produce ethanol from remains of sugarcane after it was processed for sugar production. We can convert the buses and other public transport on ethanol, which is a green fuel," the BJP MP said.
He said at least 55 air conditioned buses are operating on ethanol in Nagpur, his home town.
"The buses have helped to reduce pollution and they are cost effective," the minister added.
Gadkari said the alternate fuel can be generated from rice, wheat and cotton straw as well as from sugarcane waste.
"Generation of fuel by farmers would decrease our country's dependency on global fuel," he said.
Gadkari said Union government has already laid the foundation stone for a Rs 800-crore project for fishermen in Goa, which will help them market and process the fish.
He said the government has introduced a scheme to help groups of fishermen to buy trawlers so that they can fish even outside the periphery of 11 nautical miles in sea.
"State government has got jurisdiction in sea up to eleven nautical miles, after that it is under the purview of the Central government. Our government has designed a special scheme for fishermen in which they can form a group and buy trawlers," the minister said.
At present, state government has jurisdiction on fishing within 11 nautical miles and beyond is under Centre.
"We want to encourage fishing outside 11 nautical miles so that their (fishermen') business can prosper and their economic condition gets the boost.
"A group of five to fifteen fishermen can approach the Centre with the capital investment of Rs 5 lakh on which the they will be provided Rs 15 lakh and banks will give them loan of Rs 1 crore," he added.
Gadkari said as trawlers will be well-equipped they will help in boosting production of fish in the coastal state, which in turn would contribute to the welfare of fishermen.
Goa is going to polls on February 4 to elect 40-member House.
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