Cabinet hikes ethanol price, mandates jute packaging for all food grains

In order to help the jute industry, the government decided that 100 per cent food grains and 20 per cent sugar will be mandatorily packaged in jute bags

The Union Cabinet on Thursday raised the price of ethanol for doping in petrol by 5-8 per cent, I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

The move will help farmers get remunerative price while also cutting down oil imports, he said. As much as 10 per cent ethanol is doped in petrol.

The move also checks pollution as ethanol is environment-friendly, the minister added.

In order to help the jute industry, the government also decided that 100 per cent food grains and 20 per cent sugar will be mandatorily packaged in jute bags.

A decision to extend the norms for mandatory packaging in jute materials was taken by the Union Cabinet, Javadekar said while briefing reporters about the meeting.

The decision, he said, will benefit about 400,000 workers engaged in the jute sector along with thousands of farmers.

Jute is primarily grown in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Andhra Pradesh.