Move will cost govt Rs 4,573 cr, is a step forward in broader plan to achieve 20 per cent blending with petrol by 2030 To meet the ambitious target of 20 per cent ethanol blending with petrol by 2030 from less than 10 per cent currently, the Union Cabinet today extended the soft loan scheme for capacity expansion to distilleries that use crops other than sugarcane as their feedstock that includes rice, maize, sorghum, wheat, barley, corn and sugar beet. So far, the soft loan scheme for capacity expansion was available for integrated and standalone distilleries that produced ethanol only from sugarcane. “The total cost to exchequer due to this extension will be around Rs 4,573 crore,” Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters after the meeting of the cabinet. Under the soft loan scheme, Central government gives a subvention of 6 per cent if the rate of interest is 12 per cent or more and if the rate of interest is less than 12 per cent, then it gives a subvention upto 5...