15-year-old govt vehicles will be scrapped: Union minister Nitin Gadkari
Nagpur(PTI): Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said all vehicles belonging to the Indian government that have completed 15 years will be scrapped, and a policy to that effect has been sent to states. He was speaking at the inauguration of the annual 'Agro-Vision' agriculture exhibition here.
"Yesterday, I signed a file under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that all the vehicles of the Indian government which have completed 15 years will be scrapped. I have sent this policy of the Indian government to all the states. They should adopt this policy at the state level," he said.
Addressing the gathering, Gadkari said two plants of the Indian Oil have almost started in Panipat, one of which will produce one lakh litre ethanol per day, while the other one will manufacture 150 tonnes bio-bitumen per day using rice straw.
This is a big change as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and rice-producing parts of the country, where burning of rice straw causes pollution. Now, rice straw will be used to produce ethanol and bio bitumen, he said.
"We require 80 lakh tonnes of bio-bitumen in the country and mostly in the roadways department. Around 50 lakh tonnes of bitumen is manufactured in the country and we import about 25 lakh tonnes of it," he said.
"I am happy that when such projects start, our country will no longer need to import bitumen. Our roads in villages, districts, states and national highways would be made of bitumen using rice straw produced by farmers," he said.
Gadkari also talked about one more project by Indian Oil in Assam where bioethanol will be produced.
"Bamboos will be cultivated on wastelands, from which bioethanol will be produced. Our farmers will not only remain food providers, but they will be energy providers as well," Gadkari said.
Madhya Pradesh Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was chief guest at the event, appreciated Gadkari's efforts.
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Lucknow Super Giants beat MI by 18 runs in IPL
Mumbai, May 17: Lucknow Super Giants beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs at Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
Mumbai Indians thus finish last in the 10-team table with only 8 points from 14 games.
Aided by a 109-run partnership between skipper KL Rahul (55 off 41 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (75 off 29 balls), LSG scored a commendable 214 for 6.
The visitors then struck at regular intervals to stop MI at 196 for 6 despite Rohit Sharma's 68 off 38 deliveries and Naman Dhir's reargaurd 62 off 28 balls.
Earlier, Rahul first steadied the innings with Marucs Stoinis (28) after the fall of his opening partner Devdutt Padikkal for a duck and then stitched a century stand with West Indian Pooran, who clobbered eight maximums and five boundaries.
Spinner Piyush Chawla (3/29) and Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thusara (3/28) emerged the most successful Mumbai Indians bowlers, grabbing three wickets each.
Brief scores:
Lucknow Super Giants 214 for 6 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 75, KL Rahul 55; Piyush Chawla 3/29, Nuwan Thushara 3/28).
Mumbai Indians 196 for 6 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 68, Naman Dhir 62 not out; Ravi Bishnoi 2/37).
