New Delhi, July 20 -- In a comprehensive written response to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, the Union government firmly dispelled concerns that India's ambitious 20 per cent ethanol blending target is threatening national food security or depleting water resources, noting that the initiative operates on a strict "waste-to-wealth" architecture.

Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi clarified that the Public Distribution System (PDS), National Food Security Act (NFSA), and mandated national buffer stocks receive absolute priority under the government's open-ended procurement system. Only after these vital food security parameters are satisfied is surplus agricultural produce cleared for ethanol production.

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