<span style="color: #222222;">The government has dismissed as unfounded, malicious and bereft of facts the reports linking ambitious Ethanol Plan with food security fears in the country. It said it is very important to understand that for a young country like India while meeting food requirements are of paramount importance. It also said fulfilling the energy needs through all means is also significant. The government has said the changed perspective should be food with fuel and not food versus fuel. It said fuel demand is ever rising in the fastest growing country and ever-increasing dependence on crude oil imports can grossly hamper the country's future growth potential.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The sugar production for the ensuing sugar season 2021-22 is projected to be about 340 lakh metric tonnes over and above the opening stock of 90 lakh metric tonnes which is cumulatively much above the domestic consumption of 260 lakh metric tonnes. Out of this, surplus sugar quantity of 35 lakh metric tonnes is proposed to be diverted to ethanol. Similarly, the stocks of rice with Food Corporation of India along as on 5th of October 2021 are 202 lakh tonnes much higher than the buffer stock requirement of the country.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The government said the foreign exchange impact by blending ethanol in petrol has been to the tune of over 20 thousand crore rupees during last six years. For the ongoing year, there will be an additional positive impact of around ten thousand crore rupees. This money goes into the pockets of common Indian rather than crude oil purchases.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Allowing alternative use to rice and maize will not only help aiding price stability (in absence of alternative use of surplus stocks of food grains, prices may collapse) to the farmers for their output, but also enable new investment in distilleries and allied infrastructure. This initiative also goes well with Prime Minister's call on Atmanirbhar Bharat.</span>