Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said tribals were being encouraged to accumulate non-edibile seeds for producing biofuel as the Government looks to reduce dependence on crude oil imports.
As India incurred a huge Rs 8 lakh crore bill on crude imports, tribals are being urged to accumulate non-edibile seeds like 'ratanjot, saal and mohan' for biofuel production, Road Transport, Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, Ganga Rejuvenation and River Development Minister Gadkari said. He said if biofuel could also cut on India's huge aviation fuel imports, and if "we could save Rs 30,000 crore spent now" through innovation and technology, it would be a great contribution to country's economic health.
On highways the Minister said, greenfield Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway would result in savings to the tune of Rs 16,000 crore on land acquisition as it only cost Rs 80 lakh per hectare on land acquisition on the new alignment as against Rs 7 per hectare on the existing alignment. He said the project was likely to be completed in two and half years and would reduce the distance from Delhi to Mumbai by 120 km.
