Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has hit out at the Central Government’s decision to divert surplus rice for the manufacture of ethanol which will then be used to produce hand sanitisers. Rahul Gandhi said the rice that should belong to the poor is being used for "cleaning the hands of the rich". The Central government on Monday, April 20 said the decision was taken at a meeting of NBCC (National Biofuel Coordination Committee) chaired by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Pradhan said the committee has allowed conversion of a "small fraction" of excess foodgrains stock into ethanol.