BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Sunday accused labour minister Susanta Singh of conspiring to stall the proposed second-generation (2G) ethanol biorefinery project in Bargarh district for narrow political gain. The minister has denied the charge.
Addressing a news conference at the state BJP headquarters, party MLA Pradeep Purohit accused Singh of influencing officers to stall the transfer of land to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) for the project.
The proposed plant in Baulsingha village in Bhatli tehsil of Bargarh district will produce ethanol-blended petrol (EBP) and biomanure from agricultural waste and crop residue.
It is one of 12 such projects planned by oil PSUs across the country to promote the use of alternative and environment-friendly fuel and reduce import dependency for energy requirements.
Purohit said BPCL had requested the state for land in November 2016 but the government was inordinately delaying its transfer. "Singh, who represents the Bhatli assembly segment, fears that the move may dent his popularity," said the BJP MLA.
Singh denied the allegation. "The BJP is coming up with such allegations to mislead people. If it can prove the allegation, I will quit politics," he said.
The accusation and counter-accusation between BJP and BJD comes ahead of the bypoll in Bijepur assembly segment, also in Bargarh district. Singh is among BJD's most popular faces on the ground there.
Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on December 1 had written to chief minister Naveen Patnaik, seeking his cooperation for the implementation of the project. He had said the bio-refinery would require the establishment of around 10 decentralized biomass-collection depots within a radius of 50km. This is expected to boost labour and transportation activities and generate employment opportunities for locals.
Addressing a news conference at the state BJP headquarters, party MLA Pradeep Purohit accused Singh of influencing officers to stall the transfer of land to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) for the project.
The proposed plant in Baulsingha village in Bhatli tehsil of Bargarh district will produce ethanol-blended petrol (EBP) and biomanure from agricultural waste and crop residue.
It is one of 12 such projects planned by oil PSUs across the country to promote the use of alternative and environment-friendly fuel and reduce import dependency for energy requirements.
Purohit said BPCL had requested the state for land in November 2016 but the government was inordinately delaying its transfer. "Singh, who represents the Bhatli assembly segment, fears that the move may dent his popularity," said the BJP MLA.
Singh denied the allegation. "The BJP is coming up with such allegations to mislead people. If it can prove the allegation, I will quit politics," he said.
The accusation and counter-accusation between BJP and BJD comes ahead of the bypoll in Bijepur assembly segment, also in Bargarh district. Singh is among BJD's most popular faces on the ground there.
Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on December 1 had written to chief minister Naveen Patnaik, seeking his cooperation for the implementation of the project. He had said the bio-refinery would require the establishment of around 10 decentralized biomass-collection depots within a radius of 50km. This is expected to boost labour and transportation activities and generate employment opportunities for locals.
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