Namrup fertilizer plant won’t be closed: Union Minister Mansukh L. Mandaviya

We are committed to putting collective efforts into strengthening this PSU: CM

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Amidst the hue and cry in Assam over the reported closure of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Ltd. (BVFCL), Union Chemical and Fertilizer Minister Mansukh L. Mandaviya has clarified that the Central Government is not going to close the fertilizer plant located at Namrup in Assam.

A few days ago, Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizer Bhagawanth Khuba told the Parliament in a written answer that the Niti Aayog’s Committee of the Group of Officers had recommended closing the Namrup fertilizer plant. The decision, as the minister said, was taken at the August 12, 2022, meeting of the Niti Aayog. The statement of the Union Minister stirred up a hornet’s nest in Assam, where various groups and organizations raised a hue and cry against the recommendation.

Mansukh L. Mandaviya said today that Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal talked to him personally, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also telephoned him on the issue. He said, “The Central Government will not close this plant; rather, we will modernise it. We will also set up a nanourea plant at Namrup. This nanourea plant will benefit the farmers of the entire Northeast and West Bengal.”

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “BVFCL is a vital public asset. We are extremely grateful to Mandaviya for his kind reassurance about its positive future. The Government of Assam is committed to the endeavour and looks forward to putting collective efforts into strengthening this historic PSU (public sector unit).”

The BVFCL has been struggling to stay afloat due to a huge decline in production. Namrup: One unit at the BVFCL was set up in 1969 and shut down in 2017, while the remaining two units have been struggling due to outdated technology and machinery. The plant provides direct employment to over 1,000 people and indirect employment to thousands more. Various parties and organizations have been demanding that the government modernize the BVFCL.

Also Read:  Assam: BVFCL to Undergo Modernization, Nano Urea Plant to be Established; Minister's Assurance

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