CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Visits BCPL, DNPL, Assam Gas Company

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the 4th compressor package operation at the Duliajan-Numaligarh Pipeline Limited (DNP Ltd) gas compression station in Dibrugarh district on Sunday.

Since Saturday, intending to review the oil, gas, petrochemicals, power and fertilizer industrial upturn the Chief Minister was on a two-day tour to Upper Assam and visited Oil India Ltd, Assam Gas Company Ltd, DNPL, Namrup Thermal and the BVFCL (Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Ltd).

The inauguration of the gas compressor package will significantly enhance the capacity of the PSU and benefit it financially. During his visit, the Chief Minister also inaugurated an orchid conservation centre and planted a rudraksh sapling at the campus.

Later, the Chief Minister visited Assam Gas Company Ltd at Duliajan and reviewed the ongoing activities and upcoming projects of the State Government PSU.

AGCL is India's first dedicated natural gas transmission and distribution company which was established in 1962. The company has been constantly making a profit during the last 12 years and has made a significant contribution to the state exchequer.

While reviewing activities of the PSU, the Chief Minister stressed increasing the annual turnover of the company by expanding its infrastructure network and tapping gas from different sources which could be sold to major buyers.

The Chief Minister said that gas will play a vital role in realizing the Assam Government's goal of speedy economic progress and urged AGCL to focus on becoming a gas exporter.

"We decided to collectively take Assam Gas Company Ltd to Rs 1,000 crore turnover business holding position. The Company made an affirmative turnover of Rs 300 crore in the last fiscal, and succeeded to pay a dividend of Rs 5 crore to the State government," the Chief Minister said.

Chief Minister also urged the company management to aggressively expand the piped gas network in the tea garden areas of the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.

On the other hand, the Chief Minister also visited Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited at Lepetkata (BCPL) in Dibrugarh district which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016. The BCPL was conceived in the year 1985 as part of the historic Assam Accord.

The Chief Minister visited the control room and product warehouse of the industry and interacted with the staff to get a first-hand understanding of polymer production.

He also held a meeting with the management of the BCPL and reviewed the ongoing activities and growth strategy of the industry. The BCPL authority apprised the Chief Minister about the present status of the company, including its production and financial position.

The Chief Minister stressed expanding market of the polymer produced at the BCPL and the need to develop strategies for generating a conducive environment for setting up more downstream polymer industries.

Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Rameswar Teli, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora and others were also present during the Chief Minister's visit.

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