HALDIA: The Union Shipping Ministry has decided to utilise 20 per cent of its diesel requirement through bio-diesel at 12 major ports. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping after inaugurating country’s first bio-diesel dispensing machine at Haldia Port said that the Bureau of Indian Standards has been asked to set standards for higher usage of bio-diesels in automobiles, locomotives, heavy engineering machines and generators.
Emami Agrotech Ltd, which has its bio-diesel refinery located at Haldia will supply the alternative green fuel to Haldia Port.
The Minister said that the bio-diesel produced by palm oil residue by Emami was cost effective. “We are looking at the possibility of buying bio-diesel for all major ports at a price much lower than the petroleum diesel price”, he said. The Minister indicated that the price could be as lower as Rs. 10 a litre.
Meanwhile, the Minister said the Centre has was considering allocation of Rs. 25,000-30,000 crore for road infrastructure in West Bengal.
“We want to give another Rs. 25,000-30,000 crore to West Bengal for new highways,” Gadkari said at the Haldia Dock Complex.
“We want to add another 2000 kms in national highway in the State. The State currently has 2000 km of highways,” Gadkari said.
The minister said he was planning to meet the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the proposals.
This investment plan is in addition to existing Rs. 6000 crore road development proposals announced last December.
The proposal comes in wake of SAARC road connectivity plan of India. Gadkari had mooted seamless road connectivity between India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. A Motor Vehicles Agreement will allow seamless movement of people and goods across the borders.
Gadkari also launched land management system, VTMS and handing over land for the proposed Haldia inland waterways multi-modal hub called Haldia Water Port. He also inaugurated a flyover at Ranichak near dock for easy flow of vehicles.
Gadkari said a proposed deep sea floating storage unit off Sandsheads will be operational at Haldia by 2017. The unit will be linked to land through undersea pipeline.
