Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar opens India’s 1st ethanol plant in Purnia

PATNA: CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday inaugurated the country’s first greenfield grain-based ethanol plant at Ganeshpur near Parora in Purnia district. He said ethanol production would help reduce the cost of petrol and generate fresh employment opportunities in the state.
The Rs 105-crore plant set up by a private investor is the first one developed since the Union government approved Bihar government’s ethanol production and promotion policy-2021.
The plant, set up with the latest technology using zero waste discharge, has been built in 15 acres. It would buy 130 tonnes of rice husk and 145-150 tonnes of maize or rice from farmers every day, an industry department official said.
Nitish, accompanied by industry minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, food and consumer protection minister Leshi Singh and Purnia MP Santosh Kushwaha, visited different parts of the plant. The CM also inquired about the employment generation opportunities and the benefits the farmers would get from the plant. “It is a matter of great happiness that ethanol production has started from this plant. In fact, Bihar government had been trying this since 2007. We had sent a proposal to the then UPA government. But they did not accept it. Now, the Centre has approved our proposal,” Nitish said.