Asom: PM to lay foundation of Gas cracker project

Guwahati, Dec 15: The Asom government today assured the Assembly that the move to set up of the over Rs 5400 crore gas cracker project with GAIL, as the main promoter, was coasting along and foundation of the same was likely to be laid by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at Lepetkata in Dibrugarh district early next year.

Asom Industry and Commerce Minister Pradyut Bardoloi today informed the House in response to a call attention motion brought by Independent legislator, Pranab Kalita, that a joint venture company (JVC) with GAIL, Assam government, Oil India Limited (OIL) and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) had been formed to set up the mega project.

The GAIL will have 70 per cent state in the project where Asom government, OIL and NRL will have 10 per cent stake each. The JVC agreement was signed on October 16. The company is likely to be registered by end of this month.

The Asom government has proposed that the company be named as Brahmaputra Polymer and Crackers Limited. The gas cracker project will use natural gas and naphtha as feedstock to produce poly ethylene and poly propylene.

Meanwhile, the Centre would convene a meeting of the Public Investment Board to take note of the objection aired by the OIL, ONGC and the NRL against supplying natural gas for the cracker project at subsidized rate fixed by the Government.

The Union Minister of state for Petroleum and Chemicals, B K Handique has been put in charge to take care of implementation of the mega project that forms a key clause of the Asom Accord of 1985.

UNI