New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) The ethanol-blended petrol (EBP) will be available across India from Nov 1 to help the country reduce its dependence on imports.

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora has directed oil marketing companies (OMCs) to tender for additional supplies of ethanol to bring into force the EBP supply programme.

Currently gasohol or ethanol - produced from sugarcane - blended with petrol is supplied in nine sugarcane-producing states.

The announcement of the launch of the nationwide EBP supply comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit next week to Brazil, with which India has a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in ethanol and bio-fuel production.

The stage is now "set for taking up the national programme for blending five percent ethanol with petrol countrywide except in the northeast, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands from Nov 1," a petroleum ministry statement said Friday.

The process of procurement of ethanol by the OMCs through national competitive bidding has commenced. The OMCs have begun issuing public notice for procurement of indigenous anhydrous ethanol in different states.

OMC's have estimated a requirement of 500,000 kilolitres of ethanol for implementing the nationwide programme.