HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, April 4: Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on Thursday demanded the establishment of the Namrup 4th plant.
Addressing a press conference here, the AASU Dibrugarh district president said, “Namrup BVFCL, one of the oldest fertiliser-producing units in India, has been struggling for its survival due to old machinery, but the central government has been showing a lackadaisical attitude in reviving the industry.”
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“Before the model code of conduct was enforced, the Union Fertiliser minister announced that steps would be taken for the rejuvenation of the Namrup fourth plant, but in reality, nothing has happened so far. The industry needs Rs 6000 crores for its revival. Rameswar Teli is the MP from Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat, and in every election, he assured that the fourth plant would come up soon, but nothing has happened yet. Teli has failed to address the main issue,” Gogoi asserted.
Gogoi said, “The chief managing director of BVFCL, SK Singh, is responsible for all the anomalies in the industry. He should be arrested immediately, but he is being safeguarded. BVFCL is the only urea-producing industry in the north-east. We don’t need any assurance. We want the Namrup 4th plant.”
He further added, “A political game has been going on with Namrup Fertiliser, but nobody thinks about the fertiliser industry. The ruling party has done nothing for the revival of the industry. Dibrugarh MP Rameswar Teli failed to address the issue of the Namrup 4th plant. When protested in Namrup for the setting up of the fourth plant, the Union Chemicals and Fertiliser minister Mansukh L Mandaviya, through a video message, said that the Namrup 4th plant would be set up, and nano project would come up, but nothing has happened.”
In 2018, the Centre had approved in-principle the proposal for setting up the fourth unit at an estimated cost of Rs 4,500 crores.
However, as of date, no progress has been made on the project. Once considered among the finest and profitable fertilser industries in the country, it is now struggling to stay afloat due to declining production over the years.
The Namrup-3 plant, set up in 1987, has been struggling due to outdated technologies and machineries. There has been a huge decline in the production of urea in the two units in recent years, due to which the fertiliser plant is unable to cater to the huge demand of urea in the country. Currently, the plant has been producing 700-800 metric tons of urea per day.
Established in 1969, BVFCL was established in Namrup and it is the only fertiliser-producing unit in the entire north-east.
