Paswan reviews performance of National Fertilisers Ltd

New Delhi, June 13 (UNI) Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers and Steel Ram Vilas Paswan has advised the public sector companies to perform efficiently to set an example for the private sector.

Addressing the senior officials of the Ministry and National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL) here yesterday, he said that fertiliser is a commodity of national importance and the interest of farmers is directly linked with timely availability of quality fertilisers.

Mr Paswan further stated that Energy efficiency levels and production capacity should be optimised. A detailed review should be done in respect of all the public sectors from time to time and a strong management information system should be developed, he said.

The Minister emphasised that the arrangements for distribution of fertilisers should also be reviewed so that it could reach the bloc and village levels and the farmers can get fertilisers at reasonable price. Possibilities should also be explored, wherever the road net work is weak to utilise the rail net work by increasing the number of rake points.

He also informed that due to increase in freight rate and change of classification by Railways, there is an additional burden of Rs 500 crore on the industry which is being borne by the Government exchequer through additional outgo of subsidy on transport of fertilisers.

Mr Paswan said a definite time table should be made in consultation with Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL) and other petroleum companies for modernisation of Nangal, Bhatinda and Panipat plants and converting them from fuel oil based to gas-based units. The company is planning to invest around Rs 1,500 crore on the conversion of these three (Nangal, Bhatinda and Panipat) FO/LSHS to gas based units. The de-bottlenecking proposal for the Vijaypur-II should be finalised in the next two months, the minister added.

Speaking on the occasion, the Fertilisers Secretary Madhukar Gupta apprised the members that a road map to meet the gas requirements for fertiliser sector is under discussions keeping in view long term energy requirements. Indigenous sources as well as possible supplies from abroad are being explored by the Fertiliser Ministry, he informed.

Laying of pipelines and availability of gas at a reasonable price is the key for the future development of the fertilise industry and accordingly the Department will be playing a pro-active role for next few months to work out a definite plan and strategy on the subject.

NFL, CMD G S Mangat mentioned that because of technical reasons, in the last financial year Nangal and Panipat could not achieve the pre-set energy norms. In this connection, Mr Paswan directed that a strategy should be worked out so that pre-set norms are achieved by all the units.

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