There is a new twist to the whole ethanol-related buzz. Amid the ongoing row on ethanol production by Cian Agro, Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that he has no participation in the tender release and policy-making on ethanol. He clarified this while speaking at the launch of a Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan.
According to the Road Transport Minister, Cian Agro was founded before the ethanol blending was adopted. The minister added that the current production of ethanol by the company, which is now managed by his son, does not account for even 0.5 per cent of the total ethanol production in the country.
Nitin Gadkari said that there are about 450 to 500 ethanol-producing companies in India, and the Cabinet decides on tenders and pricing of ethanol.
‘False propaganda’
Gadkari said that some people are spreading misinformation that he is benefiting from ethanol blending. He added that the whole campaign on social media, which linked him to pushing ethanol production for personal gains, was a paid campaign.
“There are some people who are saying that the country should be Aatmanirbhar based upon domestic production, but some other people have vested interests in imports,” Gadkari said.
The allegations
Several social media influencers and posts alleged that Nitin Gadkari was benefiting from ethanol blending, as Cian Agro Industries and Infrastructure, which is managed by his son, saw a massive revenue growth due to ethanol production.
Congress party spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged that the company’s revenue jumped from Rs 18 crore to Rs 723 crore in just one year. Many influencers on social media linked the growth in the company’s revenue to the influence of Nitin Gadkari and his advocacy for ethanol blending.
The Congress party has also said that Gadkari is aggressively lobbying for the ethanol blending policy, alleging that there is a clear conflict of interest as his two sons were the main ethanol suppliers.