Union Minister Puri Calls Out Punjab CM on CBG Plants

Chandigarh, Oct 29 (PTI) Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday asserted that Punjab should get fresh investments for setting up compressed biogas (CBG) and ethanol plants, and said he wrote to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann several times, but nothing happened on the ground.

Replying to a question on the law and order issue in AAP-ruled Punjab, Puri said if the law and order is not right, then even the existing industry will also leave the state.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of Rozgar Mela here, Puri said entrepreneurs in Punjab should be encouraged to set up CBG plants in the state.

"I feel pain that CBG plants are increasing in the country, but here (Punjab) CBG plants are finding it hard to run. If a CBG plant is run, it will benefit farmers. If an ethanol plant is set up, it will benefit farmers as they are run on biomass.

"I wrote many letters to the (Punjab) CM in this regard, and I always got a response that they are doing it, but nothing happens on the ground," he claimed.

"Punjab should get fresh investment in energy for setting up CBG and ethanol plants."

On protests in some villages against setting up of CBG plants, Puri said in Punjab, running plants are being shut down.

"It is a very sad situation," he noted.

"All states want to open. Where we have petrol pumps, CNG stations want to be set up, we are talking about clean energy, and there are contrived and manipulated protests where these (plants) are in Punjab," said the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Replying to a question that the AAP government in Delhi was blaming the BJP for Yamuna pollution, Puri took a dig at the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit, saying, "We remind them that they have their government in Delhi, which they forget sometimes".

To a question on the blame game over the issue of stubble burning, Puri said there is no blame game.

"It is solely the responsibility of the state government. You can see the satellite map (to find from) where the fire (is taking place). It is not the blame game, and it is obfuscation that they are trying," Puri said, pointing towards the Aam Aadmi Party.