Mandaviya reviews progress in revival of fertiliser plants

Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday directed that revival of five fertiliser plants across different states should be completed at the earliest. The Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers held a meeting with officers of the Department of Fertilizers through video conference to review the progress in revival of these five plants, an official statement said.

These plants include Hindustan Urvarak Rasayan Ltd (HURL), Gorakhpur, Barauni and Sindri; Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) and Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL).  Senior officers from RFCL, HURL and TFL looking after revival of these five plants attended the meeting. Mandaviya directed the authorities concerned to take all possible step for early completion of the projects.

The minister was informed that RFCL has achieved 99.53 per cent of physical progress and there has been some delay in completion of small components of physical work due to COVID-19. "It is expected that urea production will commence by the end of September, 2020," the statement said.

Similarly, the minister was told that Gorakhpur, Sindri, Barauni fertiliser plants have achieved 77 per cent, 70 per cent and 69 per cent of physical progress respectively.  "It is expected that Gorakhpur, Barauni and Sindri plants will be completed before May 2021," the statement said. He was also informed that pre-project activities are in progress in the Talcher fertilizer Plants in Odisha.

The government had announced New Investment Policy (NIP), 2012 to facilitate fresh investment in urea sector and to make India self-sufficient in the urea sector.   Under NIP, 2012, the Centre is reviving these 5 closed fertilizer plants of Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL) and Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd. (HFCL)..