Railway ministry has asked changes in the policies of the petroleum ministry which would allow it to buy bio-diesel from private players apart from the oil marketing companies.
Sources said that the ministry has communicated to the petroleum ministry that policies restricting procurement and distribution of bio-diesel has been hampering the railway’s commitment to use the alternative clean fuel in a significant way.
It also said the oil marketing companies have not been able to meet the railway’s bulk bio-diesel requirements.
Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday reiterated railways’ commitment to use bio-diesel at a massive scale.
“With a concern for cleaner environment, Indian Railways has decided to promote use of alternative fuels like bio-diesel in a big way for powering our vast fleet of over 4000 Diesel locomotives,” Gowda told the Conference, Bio-Fuels – 2014, organised by Bio-Diesel Association of India .
Published 05 November 2014, 19:16 IST