Govt earmarks Rs 50,000 cr to revive closed fertiliser plants

NEW DELHI: The government has outlined an investment of Rs 50,000 crore for the revival of closed fertiliser plants at Gorakhpur, Barauni, Sindri and Talcher and setting up of gas pipeline network to connect Eastern India to National Gas Grid.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 27

The government has outlined an investment of Rs 50,000 crore for the revival of closed fertiliser plants at Gorakhpur, Barauni, Sindri and Talcher and setting up of gas pipeline network to connect Eastern India to National Gas Grid.

At a review meeting for the revival of closed fertiliser plants, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar said with the revival of the fertiliser projects at Gorakhpur, Barauni, Sindri and Talcher, an additional annual production capacity of 75 lakh tonne would be created making India self-reliant in meeting the annual domestic demand of around 32 million tonne, from being a net importer currently.

Financial allocations and the ground work would start this year itself and the five plants would become fully functional by 2020-21, he added. Kumar said as part of the government’s vision of “Fertiliser Security for Food Security”, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, in coordination with Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Power and Coal, is following a two-pronged strategy.

The strategy includes existing fertiliser capacity augmentation by increasing the efficiency of the plants and revival of the closed fertiliser projects.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said a massive investment to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore was being undertaken for the revival of closed fertiliser plants and setting up of gas pipeline network to connect Eastern India to the National Gas Grid.

He said production from these four major plants will ensure enhanced domestic fertiliser production and availability which will give an impetus to the vital agricultural sector thereby aiding the second Green Revolution. The Talcher Unit is being revived by a consortium of PSUs namely Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilisers, GAIL, Coal India Ltd. and FCIL by investing Rs 8,000 crore.

Indian Oil Corporation, CIL and NTPC have registered a Special Purpose Vehicle by the name Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited for the revival of closed urea plants of FCIL at Gorakhpur and Sindri and of Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation of India Ltd. at Barauni, with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore.