Patna, Dec. 17: The RJD today alleged that the Bihar government’s desperation to replace paddy cultivation with that of sugarcane to produce ethanol would spell a doom for farmers in the state.

“Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s repeated claims that industrialisation in the state was not being successful because of not getting permission from the Centre indicated his desperation to realise his objective,” RJD MP Jagdanand said. The state had received a proposal of around Rs 20,000 crore through the state investment promotion board for ethanol production after Nitish had taken over the reins of the state in November 2005.

The central government then came out with the Sugar Cane Control Order, 2007, which prohibited direct production of ethanol from sugarcane.

“Bihar needs 50 lakh tonnes of foodgrain each year for its people as the production in the state is less. Nitish thinks ethanol can be directly made by sugarcane, which is wrong. Ethanol and alcohol can only be made through molasses. With the state reeling under a foodgrain crisis, it will be a disaster if the remaining paddy fields are used to cultivate sugarcane for ethanol, which is used as a bio-diesel for the rich as well as for making alcohol,” Jagdanand said.

He added that if ethanol could be produced directly from sugarcane, major crop-producing states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh would have switched to ethanol rather than sugar and jaggery.

“Why are these states not going for ethanol production? The people need to know about the preference of the state government. The preference of ethanol over paddy is disastrous. The Opposition doesn’t have a problem if the state wants to grow sugarcanes for sugar production. But it shouldn’t be done for ethanol and alcohol. Nitish’s claim that industrialisation is not taking place because of the Centre’s move is baseless,” Jagdanand said.

On the other hand, Nitish accused the Centre of not meeting the state’s demand for fertilisers during the Rabi season, an agency report said.

“The Centre is not cooperating in progress in agriculture sector... it supplied just half of the state's demand for 6.5 lakh metric tonne of fertilisers during the three months of Rabi season,” Kumar said while addressing a public meeting on conclusion of his three-day visit to Banka district as part of his ongoing Seva Yatra.