Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) had entered into Joint Ventures (JVs) / Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) to carry out jatropha plantation with the help of Gram Panchayats in Uttar Pradesh. BPCL had formed a Joint Venture (JV) Company named “Bharat Renewable Energy Ltd. (BREL)” which entered into agreement with the Panchayats to grow Jatropha / Pongamia plantations in their fallow lands. The JV company closed down due to poor yields and high operating cost.
Similarly, IOCL had formed ‘Indian Oil Ruchi Biofuels LLP’, a LLP firm, to participate in `Jeevan Jyoti Yojana’ Project of Government of Uttar Pradesh, for Jatropha plantation by Gram Panchayats on Panchayat wasteland. The LLP facilitated jatropha plantation in 1818 hectares. IOCL has to exit from LLP since no seeds were made available by Gram Panchayats for biofuel production.
This information was given by the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan in a written reply to the Lok Sabha