Sivasagar: Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas, labour & employment, Rameswar Teli, said that the ministry has started an initiative to extract oil from bamboo, abundantly grown in Assam, following extensive research, marking a significant stride towards sustainable energy practices in the state.
Minister Teli, who made the announcement at the 3rd convocation of the Assam Energy Institute (AEI) in Sivasagar, also highlighted strides in the energy sector, stating that Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) is currently producing petroleum mixed with 20 per cent ethanol from its biorefinery.
“A 1700-kilometer pipeline project is underway," Teli said. “Furthermore, plans are in motion to double the capacity of the Bongaigaon refinery from 2.5 lakh MT to 5 lakh MT and increase the Digboi refinery capacity by 1 lakh MT," he added.
While congratulating the 172 graduating students of AEI, Teli emphasized the government's substantial investment in technical education, urging the graduates to contribute “positively” to the state. “Every student has a responsibility to give back to society, given the government's expenditure of almost Rs 20 lakh per student," Teli asserted.
Government appointments are now solely based on "merit," eliminating the need for individuals to approach politicians for employment opportunities, said Teli.
AEI at its third convocation, awarded diplomas to 172 students for the academic session 2022–23, out of which 47 were from chemical engineering, 21 from electronics and instrumentation, 23 from fire and safety, 43 from mechanical engineering, and 34 from petroleum engineering.
“The institute is also working towards producing skilled workers for the petroleum and allied industries," an AEI official said.
A.S.K Sinha, the Director of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) mentioned that extracurricular programs aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) have been introduced to enhance students' skills.
BPCL managing director, Pranjal Changmai, who was also present at the convocation, urged the outgoing students to be an integral part of the “emerging India”, competing fiercely with global economic giants.
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