Move on to upgrade Namrup Fertilizer plant

Spl Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Feb 21 – While the Central Government is still undecided on setting up the fourth plant of Namrup Fertlizer, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is pushing for approval of Rs 272 crore plan for replacement and renewal of machineries of the second and third units of the plants. This was conveyed at a meeting by Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Bijoy Krishna Handique with the Namrup Fertilizer Shramik Union, officers association, and officials of the Ministry. The meeting was also joined by the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Company Limited (BVFCL).

Official sources said that the visiting delegation of the employees was told that the plan to revamp the two units of Namrup has been submitted to the Union Cabinet for clearance. The funds for renewal and replacement of the two plants have been earmarked earlier.

It was also conveyed that the Ministry proposed to an additional corpus fund of Rs 50 crore to sustain the operation of the BVFCL during its revamp. The fund will be used against any contingency that arises during the renewal period, said sources.

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertlizer had last week in a Rajya Sabha reply said that no decision has been taken yet on setting up the Fourth unit of the Plant. The proposal to set up the unit was announced by Union Chemicals and Fertilizer Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan during his visit to the State couple of years ago.

With elections drawing closer, both the Congress and AGP have gone on the overdrive to woo the employees of the fertilizer plant. While Handique, who represents the neighbouring Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency is apparently anxious because he also happens to be the concerned Minister, AGP MP Sarbananda Sonowal, the local MP has been working closely with the touring employees.

This week, he even raised a Zero Hour motion in the Lok Sabha seeking Central Government’s intervention.

The BVFCL is passing through a difficult period and production has been hit, he said. The fate of farmers, tea gardens and small tea growers were at stake because of the crisis. The Fertilizer plant is the only major industry set up by the Congress Government in its five decade of rule in the North-East, he contended.

He said that with obsolete plant and machinery, it was not possible for the Fertilizer Plant to increase production. He urged Government of India to sanction adequate funds to BVFCL to start the work on the Fourth Phase of the Plant. source: assam tribune