New Delhi: To encourage use of alternative fuel, the government is thinking about withdrawing import duty on used cooking oil,  Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday . Gadkari  said if that oil comes in the country then bio-diesel will be made from it. He was addressing Assocham’s ‘Smart City’ summit in Delhi today.

He said that bio-diesel is cheaper by rupees 4 than petroleum diesel but when we will withdraw duty, it will be cheaper by rupees 7. Citing the example of Brazil, he said, vehicles running with alternative fuel not only pollute less but could also be manufactured easily. The minister also urged farmers to switch to ethanol production from sugarcane to reap rich dividends as well as contribute towards minising pollution.

Government is also planning to run 100 buses on ethanol. Gadkari informed that ISRO scientists are developing lithium-ion battery at a cost of barely rupees 5 to 6 lakh instead of global rupees 55 lakh to power buses. He said a study is also in final stages to bury heaps of garbage under highways and expressways to be constructed to minimise pollution.

Discussing other measures to curb pollution, Gadkari said one per cent of the highways construction cost has been allocated for greening of highways. Under the plan rupees 1,500 crore out of rupees 1.5 lakh highway contracts were earmarked for plantation.