Selfish announcements of freebies will prevent India from becoming self-reliant: PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that selfish announcements of freebies will prevent the country from becoming self-reliant, increase the burden on honest taxpayers and prevent investment in new technologies.

The PM made these remarks while inaugurating the second generation (2G) ethanol plant in Panipat via video conferencing on World Biofuel Day on Wednesday. He said that the facility will be able to dispose of the stubble without burning it. Terming the ethanol plant just a beginning, the PM said that this plant will reduce pollution in Delhi, Haryana and NCR.

The Prime Minister said that people who have a tendency to avoid problems by adopting shortcuts for political selfishness can never solve the problems permanently. Those adopting short-cuts may get applause for some time and may gain political advantage, but that does not solve the problem. 

Adopting a shortcut will definitely result in a short-circuit, he said. "Instead of following short-cuts, our government is engaged in permanent solutions to the problems. A lot has been said about the problems of stubble over the years. But those with a short-cut mentality could not solve it," he said.

"Selfish announcements of freebies will prevent the country from becoming self-reliant, increase the burden on honest taxpayers and prevent investment in new technologies," he added. The Prime Minister also said that in the next few years, more than 75 per cent of the households in the country will get piped gas.

The Prime Minister said that if there is selfishness in politics, then anyone can come and announce to give free petrol and diesel. Such steps will take away the rights of children, and prevent the country from becoming self-reliant.

Due to such selfish policies, the burden on honest taxpayers of the country will also increase, the PM remarked. To deal with the challenges that the country is facing, it needs clear intentions, extreme hard work, policy and huge investments.

The Prime Minister said if the government does not have money, then even the plants like ethanol, biogas and solar plants will also close down. "We have to remember that even though we will not be there, this nation will always be there, and the children living in it will always be there. Those who sacrificed their lives for freedom have also worked with this eternal spirit.....As a country, we have to take a pledge that we will not allow such tendencies to grow. This is a collective responsibility of the country," he said.

The Prime Minister said that in a country like India that worships nature, biofuel is a synonym for protecting nature. "Our farmer brothers and sisters understand this better. Biofuel for us means green fuel, environment-saving fuel." He said that with the establishment of this modern plant, farmers of Haryana, where rice and wheat are grown in abundance, will get another lucrative means of using crop residue.

The bio-fuel plant of Panipat will also be able to dispose of the stubble without burning it and it will lead to many benefits. The first advantage would be that mother earth would be freed from the pain that was caused by burning stubble.

The second advantage would be that the new systems for stubble cutting and its disposal, new facilities for transportation and new biofuel plants will bring new employment opportunities in all these villages. The third advantage would be that the stubble, which was a burden for the farmers and was a cause of concern, would become a means of additional income for them.

The fourth advantage will be that pollution will be reduced, and the contribution of farmers in protecting the environment will increase further. The fifth benefit will be that the country will also get an alternative fuel. The Prime Minister expressed happiness that such plants are coming up in various areas of the country.

The Prime Minister listed steps that aim to solve the problem in a comprehensive manner. Farmers Producer Organisations (FPO) were given financial support for `parali` and up to 80 per cent subsidy on modern machinery for crop residue. This modern plant will help in providing a permanent solution to this problem, he said.

"Farmers who were given bad name due to compulsions of parali burning will now feel the pride of contributing to the production of bio-fuel and nation building," he said. The Prime Minister also mentioned Gobardhan Yojana as an alternative means of income for farmers and talked about new fertiliser plants, nano fertilisers, and new missions for edible oil.

The Prime Minister pointed out that due to the mixing of ethanol in petrol, in the last 7-8 years, about 50,000 crore rupees of the country have been saved and about the same amount has gone to the farmers of our country because of ethanol blending. 

He said till eight years ago only 40 crore litre ethanol was produced in the country and now this production is about 400 crore litre. He emphasised that till 2014, there were only around 14 crore LPG gas connections in the country and half of the country`s population, mothers and sisters, were left in the smoke of the kitchen.

The Prime Minister also expressed happiness upon the delivery of more than nine crore gas connections to poor women from the Ujjwala scheme alone. "Now we have almost reached 100 per cent LPG coverage in the country. 

There are about 31 crore gas connections in the country today."PM Modi also pointed out that CNG stations increased to more than 4,500 from mere 800 eight years ago. Gas is reaching through pipes to more than a crore households. 

"Today, when we are completing 75 years of independence, the country is also working on the goal that in the next few years, more than 75 percent of the households in the country will get piped gas ``, he said.

He said that during the Amrit Mahotsav when the entire country is painted in the colour of the Tricolour, he would like to draw the attention of the country to something that has happened.

PM Modi said an attempt has been made to defame the holy occasion, to humiliate brave freedom fighters and "it is important to understand the mentality of such people". He said that there are some people in the country who are trapped in the vortex of negativity, immersed in despair. "Even after lying against the government, the public is not ready to trust such people. In such desperation, these people are also seen turning towards black magic"

In a veiled reference to Congress's protest in black clothes against the price rise, he said the events of August 5 when there was an attempt to spread black magic mentality. The Prime Minister said those who think that by wearing black clothes, their period of despair will end are unaware that irrespective of the black magic and their belief in superstition, people`s trust will never be restored in them.

A release said the dedication of the plant is part of a long series of steps taken by the government over the years to boost the production and usage of biofuels in the country.

The 2G Ethanol Plant has been built at an estimated cost of over Rs 900 crore by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and is located close to the Panipat Refinery. Based on state-of-the-art indigenous technology, the project will turn a new chapter in India`s waste-to-wealth endeavours by utilising about 2 lakh tonne of rice straw (parali) annually to generate around three crore litres of ethanol annually.

The project will provide direct employment to people involved in the plant operation and indirect employment will be generated in the supply chain for rice straw cutting, handling, storage, etc. The project will have zero liquid discharge. 

By reducing the burning of rice straw (parali), the project will reduce Greenhouse Gases equivalent to about 3 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per annum, which can be understood as equivalent to replacing nearly 63,000 cars annually on the country`s roads.